Causal contribution of optic flow signal in Macaque extrastriate visual cortex for roll perception

Wenhao Li, Jianyu Lu, Zikang Zhu and Yong Gu ()
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Wenhao Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jianyu Lu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zikang Zhu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yong Gu: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Optic flow is a powerful cue for inferring self-motion status which is critical for postural control, spatial orientation, locomotion and navigation. In primates, neurons in extrastriate visual cortex (MSTd) are predominantly modulated by high-order optic flow patterns (e.g., spiral), yet a functional link to direct perception is lacking. Here, we applied electrical microstimulation to selectively manipulate population of MSTd neurons while macaques discriminated direction of rotation around line-of-sight (roll) or direction of linear-translation (heading), two tasks which were orthogonal in 3D spiral coordinate using a four-alternative-forced-choice paradigm. Microstimulation frequently biased animal’s roll perception towards coded labeled-lines of the artificial-stimulated neurons in either context with spiral or pure-rotation stimuli. Choice frequency was also altered between roll and translation flow-pattern. Our results provide direct causal-link evidence supporting that roll signals in MSTd, despite often mixed with translation signals, can be extracted by downstream areas for perception of rotation relative to gravity-vertical.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33245-5

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