scholarly journals The development of active binocular vision under normal and alternate rearing conditions

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Klimmasch ◽  
Johann Schneider ◽  
Alexander Lelais ◽  
Maria Fronius ◽  
Bertram Emil Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Active Perception ◽  
Efficient Coding ◽  
Rearing Conditions ◽  
Random Dot Stereograms ◽  
Active Binocular Vision ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Visual Cortical

The development of binocular vision is an active learning process comprising the development of disparity tuned neurons in visual cortex and the establishment of precise vergence control of the eyes. We present a computational model for the learning and self-calibration of active binocular vision based on the Active Efficient Coding framework, an extension of classic efficient coding ideas to active perception. Under normal rearing conditions with naturalistic input, the model develops disparity tuned neurons and precise vergence control, allowing it to correctly interpret random dot stereograms. Under altered rearing conditions modeled after neurophysiological experiments, the model qualitatively reproduces key experimental findings on changes in binocularity and disparity tuning. Furthermore, the model makes testable predictions regarding how altered rearing conditions impede the learning of precise vergence control. Finally, the model predicts a surprising new effect that impaired vergence control affects the statistics of orientation tuning in visual cortical neurons.

scholarly journals The Development of Active Binocular Vision under Normal and Alternate Rearing Conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Klimmasch ◽  
Johann Schneider ◽  
Alexander Lelais ◽  
Bertram E. Shi ◽  
Jochen Triesch
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Active Perception ◽  
Efficient Coding ◽  
Rearing Conditions ◽  
Active Binocular Vision ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Visual Cortical

AbstractThe development of binocular vision is an active learning process comprising the development of disparity tuned neurons in visual cortex and the establishment of precise vergence control of the eyes. We present a computational model for the learning and self-calibration of active binocular vision based on the Active Efficient Coding framework, an extension of classic efficient coding ideas to active perception. Under normal rearing conditions, the model develops disparity tuned neurons and precise vergence control, allowing it to correctly interpret random dot stereogramms. Under altered rearing conditions modeled after neurophysiological experiments, the model qualitatively reproduces key experimental findings on changes in binocularity and disparity tuning. Furthermore, the model makes testable predictions regarding how altered rearing conditions impede the learning of precise vergence control. Finally, the model predicts a surprising new effect that impaired vergence control affects the statistics of orientation tuning in visual cortical neurons.

scholarly journals Learning of Active Binocular Vision in a Biomechanical Model of the Oculomotor System

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Klimmasch ◽  
Alexander Lelais ◽  
Alexander Lichtenstein ◽  
Bertram E. Shi ◽  
Jochen Triesch
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Biomechanical Model ◽  
Oculomotor System ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Active Perception ◽  
Efficient Coding ◽  
Antagonistic Muscle ◽  
Metabolic Costs ◽  
Active Binocular Vision

AbstractWe present a model for the autonomous learning of active binocular vision using a recently developed biome-chanical model of the human oculomotor system. The model is formulated in the Active Efficient Coding (AEC) framework, a recent generalization of classic efficient coding theories to active perception. The model simultaneously learns how to efficiently encode binocular images and how to generate accurate vergence eye movements that facilitate efficient encoding of the visual input. In order to resolve the redundancy problem arising from the actuation of the eyes through antagonistic muscle pairs, we consider the metabolic costs associated with eye movements. We show that the model successfully learns to trade off vergence accuracy against the associated metabolic costs, producing high fidelity vergence eye movements obeying Sherrington’s law of reciprocal innervation.

Double orientation tuning of cat visual cortical neurons

1984 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Shevelev ◽  
G. A. Sharaev ◽  
N. A. Lazareva ◽  
R. V. Novikova ◽  
A. S. Tikhomirov
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Visual Cortical

scholarly journals Active efficient coding explains the development of binocular vision and its failure in amblyopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (11) ◽  
pp. 6156-6162
Author(s):  
Samuel Eckmann ◽  
Lukas Klimmasch ◽  
Bertram E. Shi ◽  
Jochen Triesch
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Coding Theory ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Efficient Coding ◽  
Coding Efficiency ◽  
Vision Development ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
Active Binocular Vision

The development of vision during the first months of life is an active process that comprises the learning of appropriate neural representations and the learning of accurate eye movements. While it has long been suspected that the two learning processes are coupled, there is still no widely accepted theoretical framework describing this joint development. Here, we propose a computational model of the development of active binocular vision to fill this gap. The model is based on a formulation of the active efficient coding theory, which proposes that eye movements as well as stimulus encoding are jointly adapted to maximize the overall coding efficiency. Under healthy conditions, the model self-calibrates to perform accurate vergence and accommodation eye movements. It exploits disparity cues to deduce the direction of defocus, which leads to coordinated vergence and accommodation responses. In a simulated anisometropic case, where the refraction power of the two eyes differs, an amblyopia-like state develops in which the foveal region of one eye is suppressed due to inputs from the other eye. After correcting for refractive errors, the model can only reach healthy performance levels if receptive fields are still plastic, in line with findings on a critical period for binocular vision development. Overall, our model offers a unifying conceptual framework for understanding the development of binocular vision.

scholarly journals Inhibiting retinoic acid mitigates vision loss in a mouse model of retinal degeneration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Telias ◽  
Kevin Sit ◽  
Daniel Frozenfar ◽  
Benjamin Smith ◽  
Arjit Misra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinoic Acid ◽  
Retinal Degeneration ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Vision Loss ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Rods And Cones ◽  
Visual Cortical

In degenerative retinal disorders, rod and cone photoreceptors die, causing vision impairment and blindness. Downstream neurons survive but undergo morphological and physiological remodeling, with some retinal ganglion cells (RGC) exhibiting heightened spontaneous firing. Retinoic acid (RA) has been implicated as the key signaling molecule that induces RGC hyperactivity, obscuring RGC light responses and reducing light avoidance behaviors triggered by residual rods and cones. However, evidence that RA-dependent remodeling corrupts image-forming vision has been lacking. Here we show that disulfiram, an FDA-approved drug that inhibits RA synthesis, and BMS 493, an RA receptor (RAR) inhibitor, reduce RGC hyperactivity and augment image detection in visually impaired mice. Functional imaging of visual cortical neurons shows that disulfiram and BMS 493 sharpen orientation-tuning and strengthen response fidelity to naturalistic scenes. These findings establish a causal link between RA-induced retinal hyperactivity and vision impairment and define molecular targets and candidate drugs for boosting image-forming vision in retinal degeneration.

scholarly journals Active Efficient Coding Explains the Development of Binocular Vision and its Failure in Amblyopia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Eckmann ◽  
Lukas Klimmasch ◽  
Bertram E. Shi ◽  
Jochen Triesch
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Refractive Errors ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Efficient Coding ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
Active Binocular Vision ◽  
New Formulation

The development of vision during the first months of life is an active process that comprises the learning of appropriate neural representations and the learning of accurate eye movements. While it has long been suspected that the two learning processes are coupled, there is still no widely accepted theoretical framework describing this joint development. Here we propose a computational model of the development of active binocular vision to fill this gap. The model is based on a new formulation of the Active Efficient Coding theory, which proposes that eye movements, as well as stimulus encoding, are jointly adapted to maximize the overall coding efficiency. Under healthy conditions, the model self-calibrates to perform accurate vergence and accommodation eye movements. It exploits disparity cues to deduce the direction of defocus, which leads to co-ordinated vergence and accommodation responses. In a simulated anisometropic case, where the refraction power of the two eyes differs, an amblyopia-like state develops, in which the foveal region of one eye is suppressed due to inputs from the other eye. After correcting for refractive errors, the model can only reach healthy performance levels if receptive fields are still plastic, in line with findings on a critical period for binocular vision development. Overall, our model offers a unifying conceptual framework for understanding the development of binocular vision.Significance StatementBrains must operate in an energy-efficient manner. The efficient coding hypothesis states that sensory systems achieve this by adapting neural representations to the statistics of sensory input signals. Importantly, however, these statistics are shaped by the organism’s behavior and how it samples information from the environment. Therefore, optimal performance requires jointly optimizing neural representations and behavior, a theory called Active Efficient Coding. Here we test the plausibility of this theory by proposing a computational model of the development of binocular vision. The model explains the development of accurate binocular vision under healthy conditions. In the case of refractive errors, however, the model develops an amblyopia-like state and suggests conditions for successful treatment.

scholarly journals A binocular synaptic network supports interocular response alignment in visual cortical neurons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Scholl ◽  
Clara Tepohl ◽  
Melissa A Ryan ◽  
Connon I Thomas ◽  
Naomi Kamasawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Input ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Light And Electron Microscopy ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Two Photon Microscopy ◽  
Two Photon ◽  
Layer 2 ◽  
Visual Cortical

In the visual system, signals from the two eyes are combined to form a coherent representation through the convergence of synaptic input populations onto individual cortical neurons. As individual synapses originate from either monocular (representing one eye) or binocular (representing both eyes) cortical networks, it has been unclear how these inputs are integrated coherently. Here, we imaged dendritic spines on layer 2/3 binocular cells in ferret visual cortex with in vivo two-photon microscopy to examine how monocular and binocular synaptic networks contribute to the interocular alignment of orientation tuning. We found that binocular synapses varied in degree of "congruency", namely response correlation between left and right eye visual stimulation. Binocular congruent inputs were functionally distinct from binocular noncongruent and monocular inputs, exhibiting greater tuning selectivity and connection specificity. Using correlative light and electron microscopy, we found no difference in ultrastructural anatomy and instead, observed strength in numbers using a simple model simulating aggregate synaptic input. This model demonstrated a predominate contribution of binocular congruent inputs in sculpting somatic orientation preference and interocular response alignment. Our study suggests that, in layer 2/3 cortical neurons, a binocular network is responsible for forming a coherent representation in individual neurons through recurrent intracortical interactions.

An Active Efficient Coding Model of Binocular Vision Development Under Normal and Abnormal Rearing Conditions

2018 ◽  
pp. 66-77
Author(s):  
Lukas Klimmasch ◽  
Johann Schneider ◽  
Alexander Lelais ◽  
Bertram E. Shi ◽  
Jochen Triesch
Keyword(s):  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Efficient Coding ◽  
Vision Development ◽  
Rearing Conditions

Visual Cortical Recovery From Reverse Occlusion Depends on Concordant Binocular Experience

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 1718-1726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart D. Faulkner ◽  
Vasily Vorobyov ◽  
Frank Sengpiel
Keyword(s):  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Monocular Deprivation ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Physiological Changes ◽  
Single Cell Recording ◽  
Intrinsic Signals ◽  
Cortical Responses ◽  
Cell Recording ◽  
Visual Cortical

The effects of early monocular deprivation on visual acuity and visual cortical responses can be reversed quickly if vision is restored to the deprived eye and the other eye is deprived instead, a procedure known as reverse occlusion. However, recovery of vision through the originally deprived eye (ODE) is not stable. Following re-opening of the recently deprived (originally nondeprived) eye (ONDE), vision in the ODE typically deteriorates rapidly, possibly because of competitive interactions, whereas vision in the ONDE also remains compromised, resulting in bilateral amblyopia, the reasons for which are unknown. Here we monitor the physiological changes in the visual cortex during recovery from reverse occlusion in a longitudinal study, using optical imaging of intrinsic signals and single-cell recording in anesthetized cats. We show that a brief period of just 4 days of concordant binocular vision intercalated between the two periods of monocular experience allows close to equal responses to develop through both eyes, both in terms of cortical territory and orientation selectivity. In contrast, with no binocular vision or discordant binocular experience, cortical territory dominated by the ONDE is significantly reduced, and orientation tuning of cells dominated by the ODE is wider than that of cells dominated by the ONDE. These results support the notion that a brief period of binocular vision is sufficient to prevent bilateral acuity loss caused by reverse occlusion.

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