December 19, 2017

PBIO seminar series: Daniel Denman

Correlated spike time variability, population coding, and synchrony in the early visual system.
Daniel Denman, PhD
Allen Institute
host: Adrienne Fairhall
 
Seminar abstract: In response to repeated presentation of the same stimulus, many visual neurons produce a variable number of spikes. This variability in spike count can be independent, correlated, or anti-correlated between pairs of neurons, and the implications of such correlations on sensory encoding have been extensively explored. In addition, spikes can also occur at variable times within the response (i.e., jitter, or spike time variability). While the magnitude of correlated spike count variability in spike count has been well-studied, the magnitude and sign of correlations in jitter, and any potential implications for visual coding, are not known. In this talk I will present measurements, using high-density electrophysiology (Neuropixels), of correlated jitter within small populations of 20-200 simultaneously recorded neurons across lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex. I will further discuss proposed mechanisms of correlated jitter and implications for potential and observed synchrony in visual cortical population responses.