Supervised Multisensory Calibration Signals Are Evident in VIP But Not MSTd

Adam Zaidel, Jean Laurens, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Multisensory plasticity enables our senses to dynamically adapt to each other and the external environment, a fundamental operation that our brain performs continuously. We searched for neural correlates of adult multisensory plasticity in the dorsal medial superior temporal area (MSTd) and the ventral intraparietal area (VIP) in 2 male rhesus macaques using a paradigm of supervised calibration. We report little plasticity in neural responses in the relatively low-level multisensory cortical area MSTd. In contrast, neural correlates of plasticity are found in higher-level multisensory VIP, an area with strong decision-related activity. Accordingly, we observed systematic shifts of VIP tuning curves, which were reflected in the choicerelated component of the population response. This is the first demonstration of neuronal calibration, together with behavioral calibration, in single sessions. These results lay the foundation for understanding multisensory neural plasticity, applicable broadly to maintaining accuracy for sensorimotor tasks. Significance Statement Multisensory plasticity is a fundamental and continual function of the brain that enables our senses to adapt dynamically to each other and to the external environment. Yet, very little is known about the neuronal mechanisms of multisensory plasticity. In this study, we searched for neural correlates of adult multisensory plasticity in the dorsal medial superior temporal area (MSTd) and the ventral intraparietal area (VIP) using a paradigm of supervised calibration. We found little plasticity in neural responses in the relatively low-level multisensory cortical area MSTd. By contrast, neural correlates of plasticity were found in VIP, a higher-level multisensory area with strong decision-related activity. This is the first demonstration of neuronal calibration, together with behavioral calibration, in single sessions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)10108-10119
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Neuroscience
Volume41
Issue number49
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Dec 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2021 the authors.

Funding

Received Jan. 20, 2021; revised Aug. 23, 2021; accepted Sep. 17, 2021. Author contributions: A.Z., G.C.D., and D.E.A. designed research; A.Z. performed research; A.Z. and J.L. analyzed data; A.Z., J.L., G.C.D., and D.E.A. wrote the paper. This work was supported by NIH Grant R01 DC014678 to D.E.A.; and Israel Science Foundation Grant 1291/ 20 to A.Z. The authors declare no competing financial interests. Correspondence should be addressed to Adam Zaidel at [email protected]. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0135-21.2021 Copyright © 2021 the authors

FundersFunder number
National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication DisordersR01DC014678
Israel Science Foundation1291/ 20

    Keywords

    • multisensory
    • perceptual decision making
    • plasticity
    • self-motion
    • vestibular
    • visual

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