title: The Formation of Hierarchical Decisions in the Visual Cortex.
abstract: Intelligence relies on our ability to find appropriate sequences of decisions in complex problem spaces. The efficiency of a problem solver depends on the speed of its individual decisions and the number of decisions it can explore in parallel. It remains unknown whether the primate brain can consider multiple decisions at the same time. We therefore trained monkeys to navigate through a decision tree with stochastic sensory evidence at multiple branching points and recorded neuronal activity in visual cortical areas V1 and V4. We found a first phase of decision making in which neuronal activity increased in parallel along multiple branches of the decision tree. This was followed by an integration phase where the optimal overall strategy crystallized as the result of interactions between local decisions. The results reveal how sensory evidence is integrated efficiently for hierarchical decisions and contribute to our understanding of the brain mechanisms that implement complex mental programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeannette A M
authors.initials: JAM
authors.lastname: Lorteije
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Physics Department, Buenos Aires University, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Buenos Aires University, Avenue Paseo Colón 850, 1063 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratory of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science Department, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires University, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zylberberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brian G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Ouellette
authors.affiliation: Cerebellar Coordination and Cognition Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chris I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: De Zeeuw
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Physics Department, Buenos Aires University, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Almirante Juan Saenz Valiente 1010, C1428BIJ Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sigman
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Psychiatry Department, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AC Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: p.roelfsema@nin.knaw.nl.
authors.forename: Pieter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Roelfsema
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*