Object Representation in Inferior Temporal Cortex Is Organized Hierarchically in a Mosaic-Like Structure

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5557-12.2013
• Publication Date: 2013-10-16T19:07:34Z
• Authors: Takayuki Sato; Go Uchida; Mark D. Lescroart; Jun Kitazono; Masato Okada; Manabu Tanifuji
• Keywords: Stimulus (psychology); Temporal cortex

There are two dominant models for the functional organization of brain regions underlying object recognition. One model postulates category-specific modules while other proposes a distributed representation objects with generic visual features. Functional imaging techniques relying on metabolic signals, such as fMRI and optical intrinsic signal (OISI), have been used to support both models, but due indirect nature measurements in these techniques, existing data one cannot be model. Here, we large-scale multielectrode recordings over large surface anterior inferior temporal (IT) cortex, densely mapped stimulus-evoked neuronal responses. We found that IT cortex is subdivided into distinct domains characterized by similar patterns responses our stimulus set. Each domain spanned several millimeters cortex. Some represented faces (“face” domains) or monkey bodies (“monkey-body” domains). also identified low responsiveness (“anti-face” Meanwhile, recording sites within displayed category selectivity showed heterogeneous tuning profiles different exemplars each category. This local heterogeneity was consistent feature columns revealed OISI. Taken together, study common properties (domains) consist finer structure (columns) The “domains” previously proposed “patches” rather like “mosaics” where whole mosaic overall similarity pieces correspond columns.