title: Selective tuning for contrast in macaque area V4.
abstract: Visually responsive neurons typically exhibit a monotonic-saturating increase of firing with luminance contrast of the stimulus and are able to adapt to the current spatiotemporal context by shifting their selectivity, therefore being perfectly suited for optimal contrast encoding and discrimination. Here we report the first evidence of the existence of neurons showing selective tuning for contrast in area V4d of the behaving macaque (Macaca mulatta), i.e., narrow bandpass filter neurons with peak activity encompassing the whole range of visible contrasts and pronounced attenuation at contrasts higher than the peak. Crucially, we found that contrast tuning emerges after a considerable delay from stimulus onset, likely reflecting the contribution of inhibitory mechanisms. Selective tuning for luminance contrast might support multiple functions, including contrast identification and the attentive selection of low contrast stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, I-37129 Verona, Italy, Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0G4, Canada, Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, I-56126 Pisa, Italy, Stella Maris Foundation IRCCS, I-56128 Pisa, Italy, and National Institute of Neuroscience, I-37134 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sani
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santandrea
authors.forename: Ashkan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golzar
authors.forename: Maria Concetta
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Morrone
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chelazzi
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D013997:Time Factors; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*