Neurons in macaque area V4 acquire directional tuning after adaptation to motion stimuli

Abstract

Neurons in area V4 of the macaque are generally not selective for direction of motion, as judged from their response to directional stimuli presented after a baseline condition devoid of movement. We used motion adaptation to investigate whether stimulation history influences direction-of-motion selectivity. We found that classically nondirectional V4 neurons develop direction-of-motion selectivity after adaptation, an observation that underscores the dynamic nature of functional cortical architecture.