Object Category Structure in Response Patterns of Neuronal Population in Monkey Inferior Temporal Cortex

• DOI: 10.1152/jn.00024.2007
• Publication Date: 2007-04-11T20:33:54Z
• Authors: Roozbeh Kiani; Hossein Esteky; Koorosh Mirpour; Keiji Tanaka
• Keywords: Representation; Categorical variable

Our mental representation of object categories is hierarchically organized, and our rapid seemingly effortless categorization ability crucial for daily behavior. Here, we examine responses a large number (>600) neurons in monkey inferior temporal (IT) cortex with (>1,000) natural artificial images. During the recordings, monkeys performed passive fixation task. We found that categorical structure objects represented by pattern activity distributed over cell population. Animate inanimate created distinguishable clusters population code. The global category animate was divided into bodies, hands, faces. Faces were primate nonprimate faces, primate-face group human Bodies human, birds, four-limb animals clustered together, whereas lower such as fish, reptile, insects made another cluster. Thus cluster analysis showed IT reconstruct part intuitive structure, including division objects, further hierarchical subdivisions objects. several respects, e.g., similarity response patterns to stimuli within maintained both cells maximally responded weakly category. These results advance understanding nature neural code, suggesting an inherently comprises range amply investigated face