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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.02.03.931956

Signal transfer of visual stimuli to V4 occurs in gamma-rhythmic, pulsed information packages

Lisitsyn, D.·Grothe, I.·Kreiter, A. K.·Ernst, U. A.
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Abstract

SummarySelective visual attention allows the brain to focus on behaviorally relevant information while ignoring irrelevant signals. As a possible mechanism, routing by synchronization was proposed: neural populations sending attended signals align their gamma-rhythmic activities with receiving populations, such that spikes from the senders arrive at excitability peaks of the receivers, enhancing signal transfer. Conversely, the non-attended signals arrive unaligned to the receivers oscillation, reducing signal transfer. Therefore, visual signals should be transferred through periodically pulsed information packages, resulting in a modulation of the stimulus content within the receivers activity by its gamma phase and amplitude. To test this prediction, we quantified gamma phase-specific stimulus content within neural activity from area V4 of macaques performing a visual attention task. For the attended stimulus we find enhanced stimulus content reaching its maximum near excitability peaks, with effect magnitude increasing with oscillation amplitude, establishing a functional link between selective processing and gamma activity.

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Lisitsyn, D., Grothe, I., Kreiter, A. K., Ernst, U. A.. 2020-02-03. Signal transfer of visual stimuli to V4 occurs in gamma-rhythmic, pulsed information packages. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.03.931956

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