title: Inferotemporal neurons represent low-dimensional configurations of parameterized shapes.
abstract: Behavioral studies with parameterized shapes have shown that the similarities among these complex stimuli can be represented using a low number of dimensions. Using psychophysical measurements and single-cell recordings in macaque inferotemporal (IT) cortex, we found an agreement between low-dimensional parametric configurations of shapes and the representation of shape similarity at the behavioral and neuronal level. The shape configurations, computed from both the perceived and neuron-based similarities, revealed a low number of dimensions and contained the same stimulus order as the parametric configurations. However, at a metric level, the behavioral and neural representations deviated consistently from the parametric configurations. These findings suggest an ordinally faithful but metrically biased representation of shape similarity in IT.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium voor Neuro- en Psychofysiologie, K.U. Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Op de Beeck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagemans
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vogels
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*