@article {63, title = {Unsupervised Natural Experience Rapidly Alters Invariant Object Representation in Visual Cortex}, journal = {Science}, volume = {321}, year = {2008}, month = {12/2008}, pages = {1502 - 1507}, abstract = {

Object recognition is challenging because each object produces myriad retinal images. Responses of neurons from the inferior temporal cortex {(IT)} are selective to different objects, yet tolerant (\"invariant\") to changes in object position, scale, and pose. How does the brain construct this neuronal tolerance? We report a form of neuronal learning that suggests the underlying solution. Targeted alteration of the natural temporal contiguity of visual experience caused specific changes in {IT} position tolerance. This unsupervised temporal slowness learning {(UTL)} was substantial, increased with experience, and was significant in single {IT} neurons after just 1 hour. Together with previous theoretical work and human object perception experiments, we speculate that {UTL} may reflect the mechanism by which the visual stream builds and maintains tolerant object representations.

}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.1160028}, url = {http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/321/5895/1502?ijkey=wb6T4x69JeSes\&keytype=ref\&siteid=sci}, author = {Li, Nuo and DiCarlo, James J.} }