Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational model
Abstract Adaptation is a form of short-term plasticity triggered by prolonged stimulus exposure, altering perceptual sensitivity to stimulus features through reduced neuronal firing rates. Our previous studies investigated adaptation to bistable stimuli, specifically inward-moving gratings perceived...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07699-8 |
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| author | Maria Inês Cravo Rui Bernardes Miguel Castelo-Branco |
| author_facet | Maria Inês Cravo Rui Bernardes Miguel Castelo-Branco |
| author_sort | Maria Inês Cravo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Adaptation is a form of short-term plasticity triggered by prolonged stimulus exposure, altering perceptual sensitivity to stimulus features through reduced neuronal firing rates. Our previous studies investigated adaptation to bistable stimuli, specifically inward-moving gratings perceived either as a plaid moving coherently downward or two gratings moving incoherently. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we have consistently observed a stronger response to incoherent rather than coherent motion. Possible mechanisms include stronger adaptation to coherent motion, greater neural involvement for the representation of incoherent motion or both. Here, we employ a computational model of visual neurons with and without firing rate adaptation to test these two hypotheses. By simulating the mean activity of thirty-two columnar populations of visual area MT, we investigate the impact of adaptation on the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Our results replicate experimental findings only when the model includes adaptation. The simulated response to incoherent motion is larger for a variety of stimulus parameters and adaptation regimes, suggesting that the reduced response to coherent stimuli is due to smaller neuronal population activation. The model also explains differential motion after-effect responses. The joint role of adaptation and differential neuronal recruitment in bistable perception sheds light on mechanisms underlying experimental data. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-34f27e6fa44d43c989ea701b37334679 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-34f27e6fa44d43c989ea701b373346792025-08-20T03:42:52ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-07699-8Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational modelMaria Inês Cravo0Rui Bernardes1Miguel Castelo-Branco2Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of CoimbraCoimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of CoimbraCoimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of CoimbraAbstract Adaptation is a form of short-term plasticity triggered by prolonged stimulus exposure, altering perceptual sensitivity to stimulus features through reduced neuronal firing rates. Our previous studies investigated adaptation to bistable stimuli, specifically inward-moving gratings perceived either as a plaid moving coherently downward or two gratings moving incoherently. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we have consistently observed a stronger response to incoherent rather than coherent motion. Possible mechanisms include stronger adaptation to coherent motion, greater neural involvement for the representation of incoherent motion or both. Here, we employ a computational model of visual neurons with and without firing rate adaptation to test these two hypotheses. By simulating the mean activity of thirty-two columnar populations of visual area MT, we investigate the impact of adaptation on the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Our results replicate experimental findings only when the model includes adaptation. The simulated response to incoherent motion is larger for a variety of stimulus parameters and adaptation regimes, suggesting that the reduced response to coherent stimuli is due to smaller neuronal population activation. The model also explains differential motion after-effect responses. The joint role of adaptation and differential neuronal recruitment in bistable perception sheds light on mechanisms underlying experimental data.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07699-8 |
| spellingShingle | Maria Inês Cravo Rui Bernardes Miguel Castelo-Branco Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational model Scientific Reports |
| title | Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational model |
| title_full | Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational model |
| title_fullStr | Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational model |
| title_short | Joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area MT: a computational model |
| title_sort | joint contribution of adaptation and neuronal population recruitment to response level in visual area mt a computational model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07699-8 |
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