Neuronal figure-ground responses in primate primary auditory cortex

Felix Schneider; Fabien Balezeau; Claudia Distler; Yukiko Kikuchi; Jochem van Kempen; Alwin Gieselmann; Christopher I. Petkov; Alexander Thiele; Timothy D. Griffiths

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109242

Back

Neuronal figure-ground responses in primate primary auditory cortex

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Neuronal figure-ground responses in primate primary auditory cortex

Felix Schneider, Fabien Balezeau, Claudia Distler, Yukiko Kikuchi, Jochem van Kempen, Alwin Gieselmann, Christopher I. Petkov, Alexander Thiele and Timothy D. Griffiths

Cell reports (Cambridge), Vol.35(11), pp.109242-109242

06/15/2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109242

PMCID: PMC8220257

PMID: 34133935

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109242View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Figure-ground segregation, the brain’s ability to group related features into stable perceptual entities, is crucial for auditory perception in noisy environments. The neuronal mechanisms for this process are poorly understood in the auditory system. Here, we report figure-ground modulation of multi-unit activity (MUA) in the primary and non-primary auditory cortex of rhesus macaques. Across both regions, MUA increases upon presentation of auditory figures, which consist of coherent chord sequences. We show increased activity even in the absence of any perceptual decision, suggesting that neural mechanisms for perceptual grouping are, to some extent, independent of behavioral demands. Furthermore, we demonstrate differences in figure encoding between more anterior and more posterior regions; perceptual saliency is represented in anterior cortical fields only. Our results suggest an encoding of auditory figures from the earliest cortical stages by a rate code. • Neuronal figure-ground modulation in primary auditory cortex • A rate code is used to signal the presence of auditory figures • Anteriorly located recording sites encode perceptual saliency • Figure-ground modulation is present without perceptual detection Using extracellular recordings of the auditory cortex, Schneider et al. demonstrate a neuronal correlate of complex auditory object segregation at the earliest stage, namely, the primary auditory cortex. A subset of recording sites encode the presence of coherent frequency elements with changes in their average activity.

auditory cortex

auditory figure

auditory figure-ground segregation

auditory object

non-human primate

perceptual organization

rhesus macaque

scene analysis

stochastic figure-ground stimulus

Details

Title: Subtitle: Neuronal figure-ground responses in primate primary auditory cortex
Creators: Felix Schneider - Newcastle University
Fabien Balezeau - Newcastle University
Claudia Distler - Ruhr University Bochum
Yukiko Kikuchi - Newcastle University
Jochem van Kempen - Newcastle University
Alwin Gieselmann - Newcastle University
Christopher I. Petkov - University of Newcastle Australia
Alexander Thiele - Newcastle University
Timothy D. Griffiths - University of Newcastle Australia
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Cell reports (Cambridge), Vol.35(11), pp.109242-109242
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109242
PMID: 34133935
PMCID: PMC8220257
NLM abbreviation: Cell Rep
ISSN: 2211-1247
eISSN: 2211-1247
Publisher: Cell Press
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100010269, name: Wellcome Trust, award: WT106964MA
Language: English
Date published: 06/15/2021
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Neurosurgery; Otolaryngology
Record Identifier: 9984360007302771

Metrics

10 Record Views

8 Times Cited - Web of Science