Many papers consider the role of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV) in processing Information in the cortex. However, researchers cannot agree whether PV interneurons can increase selectivity to the drifting gratings with a specific orientation. Based on experimental observations, we hypothesize that PV related network is involved in shaping the orientation selectivity. Furthermore, we hypothesize that this influence is related to specific connections between the cortical orientation columns that depend on PV interneurons. Thanks to a specific connection pattern, the PV cells are involved in sharpening the orientation selectivity curve. Here, we investigated this hypothesis using a computational modeling approach. The model consists of 3 cortical orientation columns in the primary visual cortex. Each column has a specific orientation preference and consists of biophysically detailed excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The neurons are connected to each other in each layer and between different layers. After building the model, we investigated the function of lateral connections between orientation columns in shaping the orientation selectivity. Preliminary results of modeling support the experimental observation that local lateral connections are important in sharpening orientation selectivity
About the speaker
Biomedical Engineer from the University of Tehran, currently researcher at Ophthalmic Biology Group, ICTER
