M-INHIB · Non-linear temporal dynamics of mutually inhibiting pyramidal cells: underlying mechanism for bi-stable perception and disambiguation

Non-linear temporal dynamics of mutually inhibiting pyramidal cells: underlying mechanism for bi-stable perception and disambiguation

It has been assumed that a neural circuit for signal competition, called mutual inhibition, plays the key role in perceptual alternations. In the circuit, two neurons representing competing input signals inhibit each other. Coherent representation of input images that are often ambiguous and noisy and come with conflicting signals, the neural competition mechanism plays a fundamental role in signal processing to establish coherent perception. While there are elaborate theoretical models implementing this circuit to reproduce “bi-stable perception”, its physiological data from real neurons is missing. I used a state-of-art neuron-computer interface to construct the mutual inhibition circuit between two real pyramidal cells. I ran paradigms equivalent to experimental paradigms known in the research of bi-stable perception. I aimed at investigating, WP1. How dynamics of bi-stability are influenced by the activity levels of neurons WP2. How the stochasticity of the dominant durations is influenced by adding noise to neural activities WP3. How feedback projection influences their dynamics WP4. How the stabilization effect known in bi-stable perception can be evoked I built the neuron-computer interface (NCI) system in the electrophysiology rig. I succeeded to evoke bi-stable activity in a pair of neurons. I completed WP 1 and wrote a manuscript to publish the results in pre-print archive, and we are ready to submit it to eLife journal. It reports that the dynamics of bi-stable activity are strikingly similar to the dynamics of human visual perception. I also collected data from WP 2 and I am writing a paper for publication. It will report that when the noise level is high, the probability distribution of dominance durations becomes similar as found in human bi-stable perception. Due to the limitation of working during covid-19 pandemic, I decided not m to run WP 3 and focused on Experiment 4. I collected the key data linking activation of acetylcholine receptors to the history effect in bi-stability. These works have been presented at 4 conferences and invited talks as well as at internal seminars. I will be able to publish papers based on the outcome soon. Through these, I showed it is possible to apply this novel NCI approach to investigate neural mechanisms underlying visual perception. This project initiated a whole new research of applying advance neuroscience to vision science research. I aim at becoming an established independent scientist combining neuroscience and vision science. I succeeded to come very close to reach to my goals. I have applied two research grants. I have expanded my network with scientists internally and world-wide so that I will be able to expand my research in collaboration.

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