scholarly journals A continuum of invariant sensory and behavioral-context perceptual coding in secondary somatosensory cortex

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Román Rossi-Pool ◽  
Antonio Zainos ◽  
Manuel Alvarez ◽  
Gabriel Diaz-deLeon ◽  
Ranulfo Romo
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Behavioral Context ◽  
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
Categorical Information ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Processing Mechanism

AbstractA crucial role of cortical networks is the conversion of sensory inputs into perception. In the cortical somatosensory network, neurons of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) show invariant sensory responses, while frontal lobe neuronal activity correlates with the animal’s perceptual behavior. Here, we report that in the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), neurons with invariant sensory responses coexist with neurons whose responses correlate with perceptual behavior. Importantly, the vast majority of the neurons fall along a continuum of combined sensory and categorical dynamics. Furthermore, during a non-demanding control task, the sensory responses remain unaltered while the sensory information exhibits an increase. However, perceptual responses and the associated categorical information decrease, implicating a task context-dependent processing mechanism. Conclusively, S2 neurons exhibit intriguing dynamics that are intermediate between those of S1 and frontal lobe. Our results contribute relevant evidence about the role that S2 plays in the conversion of touch into perception.

scholarly journals From an invariant sensory code to a perceptual categorical code in secondary somatosensory cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Román Rossi Pool ◽  
Antonio Zainos ◽  
Manuel Alvarez ◽  
Gabriel Diaz-de Leon ◽  
Ranulfo Romo
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Hierarchical Processing ◽  
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Categorical Information ◽  
Intrinsic Fluctuations ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Sensory Code

Abstract A crucial role of cortical networks is the conversion of sensory inputs into perception. In the cortical somatosensory network, neurons of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) show invariant sensory responses, while frontal lobe neuronal activity correlates with the animal’s perceptual behavior. Here, we report that in the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), neurons with invariant sensory responses coexist with neurons whose responses correlate with perceptual behavior. Importantly, the vast majority of the neurons fall along a continuum of combined sensory and categorical dynamics. These distinct neural responses exhibit analogous timescales of intrinsic fluctuations, suggesting that they belong to the same hierarchical processing stage. Furthermore, during a non-demanding control task, the sensory responses remained unaltered while perceptual responses vanished. Sensory information increased and categorical information diminished during this control task, suggesting that processing depended on the task context. Conclusively, S2 neurons exhibit intriguing dynamics that are intermediate between S1 and frontal lobe.

scholarly journals From an invariant sensory code to a perceptual categorical code in second somatosensory cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Román Rossi-Pool ◽  
Antonio Zainos ◽  
Manuel Alvarez ◽  
Ranulfo Romo
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Hierarchical Processing ◽  
Sensory Inputs ◽  
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Intrinsic Fluctuations ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Sensory Code

A crucial role of cortical networks is the conversion of sensory inputs into perception. In the cortical somatosensory network, neurons of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) show invariant sensory responses, while frontal lobe neuron responses correlate with the animal’s perceptual behavior. But, where in the cortical somatosensory network are the sensory inputs transformed into perceptual behavior? Here, we report that in the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), neurons with invariant sensory responses coexist with neurons whose responses correlate with the animal’s perceptual behavior. These distinct neural responses exhibit analogous timescales of intrinsic fluctuations, suggesting that they belong to the same hierarchical processing stage. Furthermore, during a non-demanding control task, the sensory responses remained unaltered while perceptual responses vanished. Conclusively, the S2 population responses exhibit intermediate dynamics between S1 and frontal lobe neurons. These results suggest that the conversion of touch into perception crucially depends on S2.

Communication through Many Senses

2014 ◽  
pp. 25-60
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Waves ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Spatial Abilities ◽  
Technology Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Verbal Cognition

Sensory messages are examined as electromagnetic waves clearly identified by our senses, consisting of interacting electric and magnetic currents or fields and having distinctive wavelengths, energy, and frequency. Further text discusses modes of gathering information and communication that include sensory responses to electromagnetic waves, visible vibrations exemplified by cymatics, the pitch response, the senses of vision, smell, touch, and taste, all of them further expanded by the developments in current technologies. The sense of numbers is examined next, involving numerical and verbal cognition and communication with the use of numerals. Sensitivity, spatial abilities, and the threshold of sensory information make a part of the issues about biology-inspired computational solutions for enhancing our particular or synesthetic abilities, and the role of imagination in biology-inspired research and technology, learning, and teaching. The role of the sensory input in art, which pertains in some extent to individual curiosity and sensibility, concludes the chapter.

Time-Dependent, Layer-Specific Modulation of Sensory Responses Mediated by Neocortical Layer 1

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 3170-3182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Shlosberg ◽  
Yael Amitai ◽  
Rony Azouz
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Inhibitory Influence ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Sensory Evoked

An essential component of feedback and top-down information in the cortical column arrives at layer 1 (L1) where it contacts distal dendrites of pyramidal neurons. Although much is known about the anatomical organization of L1 fibers, their contribution to sensory information processing remains to be determined. We assessed the physiological significance of L1 inputs by performing extracellular recordings in vivo from neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex of rodents. We found that blocking activity in L1 increases whisker-evoked response magnitude and variance, suggesting that L1 exerts an inhibitory influence on whisker responses. However, when pairing L1 stimulation with whisker deflection, the interval between the stimuli determined the outcome of the interaction, with facilitation of sensory responses dominating the short intervals (≤10 ms) and suppression prevailing at longer intervals (>10 ms). These temporal interactions resulted in a time-dependent regulation of direction tuning of cortical neurons. The synaptic mechanisms underlying L1 inputs’ influences were examined using whole cell recordings in vitro while pairing L1 and white-matter stimulations. We found time-dependent, layer-specific differences in synaptic summation of the two inputs, with supralinearity at shorter intervals and sublinearity at longer intervals that resulted mainly from shunting inhibition. Taken together, our results demonstrate that L1 inputs impose a time- and layer-specific regulation on sensory-evoked responses. This in turn may lead to a dynamic transmission of sensory information in the somatosensory cortex.

scholarly journals Learning a tactile sequence induces selectivity to action decisions and outcomes in the mouse somatosensory cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Bale ◽  
Malamati Bitzidou ◽  
Elena Giusto ◽  
Paul Kinghorn ◽  
Miguel Maravall
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Temporal Integration ◽  
Target Sequence ◽  
Two Photon ◽  
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Sequence Recognition ◽  
Sensory Features ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Stimulus Features

AbstractSequential temporal ordering and patterning are key features of natural signals used by the brain to decode stimuli and perceive them as sensory objects. To explore how cortical neuronal activity underpins sequence recognition, we developed a task in which mice distinguished between tactile ‘words’ constructed from distinct vibrations delivered to the whiskers, assembled in different orders. Animals licked to report the presence of the target sequence. Mice could respond to the earliest possible cues allowing discrimination, effectively solving the task as a ‘detection of change’ problem, but enhanced their performance when deliberating for longer. Optogenetic inactivation showed that both primary somatosensory ‘barrel’ cortex (S1bf) and secondary somatosensory cortex were necessary for sequence recognition. Two-photon imaging of calcium activity in S1bf layer 2/3 revealed that, in well-trained animals, neurons had heterogeneous selectivity to multiple task variables including not just sensory input but also the animal’s action decision and the trial outcome (presence or absence of a predicted reward). A large proportion of neurons were activated preceding goal-directed licking, thus reflecting the animal’s learnt response to the target sequence rather than the sequence itself; these neurons were found in S1bf as soon as mice learned to associate the rewarded sequence with licking. In contrast, learning evoked smaller changes in sensory responses: neurons responding to stimulus features were already found in naïve mice, and training did not generate neurons with enhanced temporal integration or categorical responses. Therefore, in S1bf sequence learning results in neurons whose activity reflects the learnt association between the target sequence and licking, rather than a refined representation of sensory features.

scholarly journals Neural basis of somatosensory target detection independent of uncertainty, relevance, and reports

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Schröder ◽  
Timo Torsten Schmidt ◽  
Felix Blankenburg
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Target Detection ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Perceptual Awareness ◽  
Stimulus Uncertainty ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Frontoparietal Network

Research on somatosensory awareness has yielded highly diverse findings with putative neural correlates ranging from activity within somatosensory cortex to activation of widely distributed frontoparietal networks. Divergent results from previous studies may reside in cognitive processes that often coincide with stimulus awareness in experimental settings. To scrutinise the specific relevance of regions implied in the target detection network, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (n = 27) on a novel somatosensory detection task that explicitly controls for stimulus uncertainty, behavioural relevance, overt reports, and motor responses. Using Bayesian Model Selection, we show that responses reflecting target detection are restricted to secondary somatosensory cortex, whereas activity in insular, cingulate, and motor regions is best explained in terms of stimulus uncertainty and overt reports. Our results emphasise the role of sensory-specific cortex for the emergence of perceptual awareness and dissect the contribution of the frontoparietal network to classical detection tasks.

scholarly journals Neural correlates of cognitive motor signals in primary somatosensory cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matiar Jafari ◽  
Tyson NS Aflalo ◽  
Srinivas Chivukula ◽  
Spencer S Kellis ◽  
Michelle Armenta Salas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Primary Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Cortical Function ◽  
Classical Systems ◽  
Systems Neuroscience ◽  
Directional Connectivity ◽  
Subcortical Regions

AbstractClassical systems neuroscience positions primary sensory areas as early feed-forward processing stations for refining incoming sensory information. This view may oversimplify their role given extensive bi-directional connectivity with multimodal cortical and subcortical regions. Here we show that single units in human primary somatosensory cortex encode imagined reaches centered on imagined limb positions in a cognitive motor task. This result suggests a broader role of primary somatosensory cortex in cortical function than previously demonstrated.

scholarly journals Role of secondary somatosensory cortex in haptic change detection: a MEG study

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaulet Thibaut ◽  
Naeije Gilles ◽  
Op De Beek Marc ◽  
Wens Vincent ◽  
Marty Brice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Change Detection ◽  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex
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