Stimulus-specific plasticity of macaque V1 spike rates and gamma

Cell Rep. 2021 Dec 7;37(10):110086. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110086.

Abstract

When a visual stimulus is repeated, average neuronal responses typically decrease, yet they might maintain or even increase their impact through increased synchronization. Previous work has found that many repetitions of a grating lead to increasing gamma-band synchronization. Here, we show in awake macaque area V1 that both repetition-related reductions in firing rate and increases in gamma are specific to the repeated stimulus. These effects show some persistence on the timescale of minutes. Gamma increases are specific to the presented stimulus location. Further, repetition effects on gamma and on firing rates generalize to images of natural objects. These findings support the notion that gamma-band synchronization subserves the adaptive processing of repeated stimulus encounters.

Keywords: STDP; adaptation; area V1; gamma oscillations; learning; memory; plasticity; primate; repetition suppression; stimulus repetition.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Animals
  • Cortical Synchronization*
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual*
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Male
  • Neuronal Plasticity*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Time Factors
  • Visual Cortex / physiology*
  • Visual Pathways / physiology*