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2d ago

Lasers Reveal V1 Neurons That Construct Illusory Contours in Mice

Using a read–write optical‑electrophysiology toolkit, the team mapped a top‑down feedback circuit in mice that completes missing edges in primary visual cortex.

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Optical illusion of profiles forming hidden figure. (Image by Mirikiteki on Shutterstock)
The findings shed light on how the visual system and perception work in the brain and have implications for diseases where this system malfunctions. Credit: Neuroscience News
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Overview

  • UC Berkeley and the Allen Institute identified rare IC‑encoder cells in primary visual cortex that selectively represent illusory edges.
  • Two‑photon holographic optogenetics activating these neurons in darkness reproduced the same V1 activity patterns seen during actual illusions.
  • Multi‑Neuropixels recordings through the Allen Institute’s OpenScope program (six probes) showed the representation emerges in higher visual areas and is fed back to V1.
  • The read–write strategy—combining large‑scale electrophysiology, two‑photon imaging, and targeted stimulation—was validated as a decoder trained on visual responses classified the optogenetically evoked pattern as an illusory contour.
  • The peer‑reviewed Nature Neuroscience study, conducted in mice, supports a recurrent pattern‑completion model of perception and highlights implications for conditions such as schizophrenia.