Heading representations in primates are compressed by saccades

Frank Bremmer,Markus Lappe,Jan Churan

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01021-5

Frank Bremmer, Markus Lappe + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01021-5

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Abstract

Perceptual illusions help to understand how sensory signals are decoded in the brain. Here we report that the opposite approach is also applicable, i.e., results from decoding neural activity from monkey extrastriate visual cortex correctly predict a hitherto unknown perceptual illusion in humans. We record neural activity from monkey medial superior temporal (MST) and ventral intraparietal (VIP) area during presentation of self-motion stimuli and concurrent reflexive eye movements. A heading-decoder performs veridically during slow eye movements. During fast eye movements (saccades), however, the decoder erroneously reports compression of heading toward straight ahead. Functional equivalents of macaque areas MST and VIP have been identified in humans, implying a perceptual correlate (illusion) of this perisaccadic decoding error. Indeed, a behavioral experiment in humans shows that perceived heading is perisaccadically compressed toward the direction of gaze. Response properties of primate areas MST and VIP are consistent with being the substrate of the newly described visual illusion.

Highlights

Perceptual illusions help to understand how sensory signals are decoded in the brain
The perisaccadic activity for a given self-motion direction was averaged in order to determine the response dynamics of a neuron under study
We have investigated the response properties of neurons in macaque extrastriate and parietal cortex and developed a model to decode self-motion direction from neural discharges

Summary

Introduction

Perceptual illusions help to understand how sensory signals are decoded in the brain. We record neural activity from monkey medial superior temporal (MST) and ventral intraparietal (VIP) area during presentation of self-motion stimuli and concurrent reflexive eye movements. Functional equivalents of macaque areas MST and VIP have been identified in humans, implying a perceptual correlate (illusion) of this perisaccadic decoding error. Previous studies have provided evidence for this idea by demonstrating that the neural tuning for heading in areas MST and VIP is invariant with respect to slow eye movements[17,18,19]. Such an eye movement invariance can be considered a prerequisite for the successful decoding of self-motion direction. Response properties of primate areas MST and VIP are likely the neural substrate of this newly described visual illusion

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