scholarly journals Stimulus-choice (mis)alignment in primate MT cortex

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhao ◽  
Jacob L. Yates ◽  
Aaron J. Levi ◽  
Alexander C. Huk ◽  
Il Memming Park
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Nonlinear Dimensionality Reduction ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Sensory Representation ◽  
Correlated Activity ◽  
Low Dimensional

AbstractFor stimuli near perceptual threshold, the trial-by-trial activity of single neurons in many sensory areas is correlated with the animal’s perceptual report. This phenomenon has often been attributed to feedforward readout of the neural activity by the downstream decision-making circuits. The interpretation of choice-correlated activity is quite ambiguous, but its meaning can be better understood in the light of population-wide correlations among sensory neurons. Using a statistical nonlinear dimensionality reduction technique on single-trial ensemble recordings from the middle temporal area during perceptual-decision-making, we extracted low-dimensional neural tra jectories that captured the population-wide fluctuations. We dissected the particular contributions of sensory-driven versus choice-correlated activity in the low-dimensional population code. We found that the neural trajectories strongly encoded the direction of the stimulus in single dimension with a temporal signature similar to that of single MT neurons. If the downstream circuit were optimally utilizing this information, choice-correlated signals should be aligned with this stimulus encoding dimension. Surprisingly, we found that a large component of the choice information resides in the subspace orthogonal to the stimulus representation inconsistent with the optimal readout view. This misaligned choice information allows the feedforward sensory information to coexist with the decision-making process. The time course of these signals suggest that this misaligned contribution likely is feedback from the downstream areas. We hypothesize that this non-corrupting choice-correlated feedback might be related to learning or reinforcing sensory-motor relations in the sensory population.Author summaryIn sensorimotor decision-making, internal representation of sensory stimuli is utilized for the generation of appropriate behavior for the context. Therefore, the correlation between variability in sensory neurons and perceptual decisions is sometimes explained by a causal, feedforward role of sensory noise in behavior. However, this correlation could also originate via feedback from decision-making mechanisms downstream of the sensory representation. This cannot be resolved by analyzing single unit responses, but requires a population level analysis. Area MT contains both sensory and choice information and is known to be the key sensory area for visual motion perception. Thus the decision-making process may be corrupting the sensory representation. However, we find that the sensory stimuli and choice variables are separate at the population level,contradicting the previous interpretations based on single unit recordings. This new insight postulates how neural systems can maintain a mixed representation while allows learning and adaptation.

scholarly journals Emergence of an abstract categorical code enabling the discrimination of temporally structured tactile stimuli

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (49) ◽  
pp. E7966-E7975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Román Rossi-Pool ◽  
Emilio Salinas ◽  
Antonio Zainos ◽  
Manuel Alvarez ◽  
José Vergara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Neural Coding ◽  
Informed Choice ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Perceptual Decision Making ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Sensory Representation ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Present Information

The problem of neural coding in perceptual decision making revolves around two fundamental questions: (i) How are the neural representations of sensory stimuli related to perception, and (ii) what attributes of these neural responses are relevant for downstream networks, and how do they influence decision making? We studied these two questions by recording neurons in primary somatosensory (S1) and dorsal premotor (DPC) cortex while trained monkeys reported whether the temporal pattern structure of two sequential vibrotactile stimuli (of equal mean frequency) was the same or different. We found that S1 neurons coded the temporal patterns in a literal way and only during the stimulation periods and did not reflect the monkeys’ decisions. In contrast, DPC neurons coded the stimulus patterns as broader categories and signaled them during the working memory, comparison, and decision periods. These results show that the initial sensory representation is transformed into an intermediate, more abstract categorical code that combines past and present information to ultimately generate a perceptually informed choice.

DETERMINING FACTORS OF CZECH FILM ATTENDANCE IN THE YEARS 2003–2017

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Žofčák ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Ceteris Paribus ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Audience Rating

The paper analyzes the determining factors affecting Czech film attendance in the years 2003–2017 and places this topic into the context of the information asymmetry faced by film-goers. Using the regression (OLS) model and a unique population-level dataset (415 observations), the hypothesis of a positive relationship between film attendance and audience rating is confirmed. The increase in audience ratings by Czech-Slovak Film Database website’s users by one percentage point is, ceteris paribus, associated with an increase in attendance by 1.8%. Factors which have proven to determine film attendance also include: specific genres; film sequels; casting of a popular actor, actress or director; the personality of the director Zdeněk Troška; the Czech Lion Awards; and a premiere in certain years. In the decision-making process of a viewer who faces information asymmetry one can rely on these determinants as economic signals and on viewer ratings as information from an intermediary.

scholarly journals Population dynamics of choice representation in dorsal premotor and primary motor cortex

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Peixoto ◽  
Roozbeh Kiani ◽  
Chandramouli Chandrasekaran ◽  
Stephen I. Ryu ◽  
Krishna V. Shenoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Stimulus Duration ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Motor Preparation ◽  
Neural Population ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Decision Variable ◽  
Single Trial ◽  
Population Activity

SummaryStudies in multiple species have revealed the existence of neural signals that lawfully co-vary with different aspects of the decision-making process, including choice, sensory evidence that supports the choice, and reaction time. These signals, often interpreted as the representation of a decision variable (DV), have been identified in several motor preparation circuits and provide insight about mechanisms underlying the decision-making process. However, single-trial dynamics of this process or its representation at the neural population level remain poorly understood. Here, we examine the representation of the DV in simultaneously recorded neural populations of dorsal premotor (PMd) and primary motor (M1) cortices of monkeys performing a random dots direction discrimination task with arm movements as the behavioral report. We show that single-trial DVs covary with stimulus difficulty in both areas but are stronger and appear earlier in PMd compared to M1 when the stimulus duration is fixed and predictable. When temporal uncertainty is introduced by making the stimulus duration variable, single-trial DV dynamics are accelerated across the board and the two areas become largely indistinguishable throughout the entire trial. These effects are not trivially explained by the faster emergence of motor kinematic signals in PMd and M1. All key aspects of the data were replicated by a computational model that relies on progressive recruitment of units with stable choice-related modulation of neural population activity. In contrast with several recent results in rodents, decision signals in PMd and M1 are not carried by short sequences of activity in non-overlapping groups of neurons but are instead distributed across many neurons, which once recruited, represent the decision stably during individual behavioral epochs of the trial.

AAC Decision-Making and Mobile Technology: Points to Ponder

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann Abbott ◽  
Debby McBride
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Ipod Touch ◽  
Feature Match

The purpose of this article is to outline a decision-making process and highlight which portions of the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) evaluation process deserve special attention when deciding which features are required for a communication system in order to provide optimal benefit for the user. The clinician then will be able to use a feature-match approach as part of the decision-making process to determine whether mobile technology or a dedicated device is the best choice for communication. The term mobile technology will be used to describe off-the-shelf, commercially available, tablet-style devices like an iPhone®, iPod Touch®, iPad®, and Android® or Windows® tablet.

Women in Power and Decision making Positions : Conditions and Restraints

1970 ◽  
pp. 53-57
Author(s):  
Azza Charara Baydoun
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Political Life ◽  
The Political ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
Slow Progress

Women today are considered to be outside the political and administrative power structures and their participation in the decision-making process is non-existent. As far as their participation in the political life is concerned they are still on the margins. The existence of patriarchal society in Lebanon as well as the absence of governmental policies and procedures that aim at helping women and enhancing their political participation has made it very difficult for women to be accepted as leaders and to be granted votes in elections (UNIFEM, 2002).This above quote is taken from a report that was prepared to assess the progress made regarding the status of Lebanese women both on the social and governmental levels in light of the Beijing Platform for Action – the name given to the provisions of the Fourth Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The above quote describes the slow progress achieved by Lebanese women in view of the ambitious goal that requires that the proportion of women occupying administrative or political positions in Lebanon should reach 30 percent of thetotal by the year 2005!

Implementation System of Business Intelligence System In The Company

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Hamid Arribathi ◽  
Maimunah Maimunah ◽  
Devi Nurfitriani
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Intelligence ◽  
Research Library ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Intelligence System ◽  
Business Intelligence Systems

This study aims to determine the stages that must be implemented in building a Business Intelligence System structured and appropriate in building Business Intelligence Systems in an organization, and understand the important aspects that must be considered for investment development Business Intelligence System is increasing. Business must be based on the conditions and needs of the organization in achieving the desired goals. If these conditions occur, then the decision-making process will be better and more accurate. The purpose of this study is to determine the important aspects that must be understood and prepared in using the Business Intelligence System in an organization. The method used is the explanation as well as the research library of several books, articles and other literature.

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