Effects of top-down influence suppression on behavioral and V1 neuronal contrast sensitivity functions in cats
Jian Ding,
Zheng Ye,
Fei Xu,
Xiangmei Hu,
Hao Yu,
Shen Zhang,
Yanni Tu,
Qiuyu Zhang,
Qingyan Sun,
Tianmiao Hua,
Zhong-Lin Lu
Affiliations
Jian Ding
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Zheng Ye
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Fei Xu
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Xiangmei Hu
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Hao Yu
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Shen Zhang
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Yanni Tu
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Qiuyu Zhang
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Qingyan Sun
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
Tianmiao Hua
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China; Corresponding author
Zhong-Lin Lu
Divison of Arts and Sciences, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200122, China; Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China; Corresponding author
Summary: To explore the relative contributions of higher-order and primary visual cortex (V1) to visual perception, we compared cats' behavioral and V1 neuronal contrast sensitivity functions (CSF) and threshold versus external noise contrast (TvC) functions before and after top-down influence of area 7 (A7) was modulated with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We found that suppressing top-down influence of A7 with cathode-tDCS, but not sham-tDCS, reduced behavioral and neuronal contrast sensitivity in the same range of spatial frequencies and increased behavioral and neuronal contrast thresholds in the same range of external noise levels. The neuronal CSF and TvC functions were highly correlated with their behavioral counterparts both before and after the top-down suppression. Analysis of TvC functions using the Perceptual Template Model (PTM) indicated that top-down influence of A7 increased both behavioral and V1 neuronal contrast sensitivity by reducing internal additive noise and the impact of external noise.