Contextual modulation emerges by integrating feedforward and feedback processing in mouse visual cortex

Summary: Sensory systems use context to infer meaning. Accordingly, context profoundly influences neural responses to sensory stimuli. However, a cohesive understanding of the circuit mechanisms governing contextual effects across different stimulus conditions is still lacking. Here we present a uni...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Serena Di Santo, Mario Dipoppa, Andreas Keller, Morgane Roth, Massimo Scanziani, Kenneth D. Miller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Cell Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124724014396
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Summary:Summary: Sensory systems use context to infer meaning. Accordingly, context profoundly influences neural responses to sensory stimuli. However, a cohesive understanding of the circuit mechanisms governing contextual effects across different stimulus conditions is still lacking. Here we present a unified circuit model of mouse visual cortex that accounts for the main standard forms of contextual modulation. This data-driven and biologically realistic circuit, including three primary inhibitory cell types, sheds light on how bottom-up, top-down, and recurrent inputs are integrated across retinotopic space to generate contextual effects in layer 2/3. We establish causal relationships between neural responses, geometrical features of the inputs, and the connectivity patterns. The model not only reveals how a single canonical cortical circuit differently modulates sensory response depending on context but also generates multiple testable predictions, offering insights that apply to broader neural circuitry.
ISSN:2211-1247