title: A channel for 3D environmental shape in anterior inferotemporal cortex.
abstract: Inferotemporal cortex (IT) has long been studied as a single pathway dedicated to object vision, but connectivity analysis reveals anatomically distinct channels, through ventral superior temporal sulcus (STSv) and dorsal/ventral inferotemporal gyrus (TEd, TEv). Here, we report a major functional distinction between channels. We studied individual IT neurons in monkeys viewing stereoscopic 3D images projected on a large screen. We used adaptive stimuli to explore neural tuning for 3D abstract shapes ranging in scale and topology from small, closed, bounded objects to large, open, unbounded environments (landscape-like surfaces and cave-like interiors). In STSv, most neurons were more responsive to objects, as expected. In TEd, surprisingly, most neurons were more responsive to 3D environmental shape. Previous studies have localized environmental information to posterior cortical modules. Our results show it is also channeled through anterior IT, where extensive cross-connections between STSv and TEd could integrate object and environmental shape information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
authors.forename: Siavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaziri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
authors.forename: Eric T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: connor@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*