A model of V1 visual contrast processing utilizing long-range connections and recurrent interactions

摘要

We propose a functional architecture of recurrent long-range processing in primary visual cortex. Simulations of noisy artificial stimuli and natural stimuli show that the circuitry increases responses of cells coherent with a global structurewhile suppressing conflicting responses. Quantitatively we demonstrate that orientation significance is increased at object borders while remaining unchanged in homogeneous regions. We suggest that the proposed circuit serves as a low-level neuralimplementation of the Gestalt principle of good continuation, thus building a preliminary stage for perceptual grouping and figure-ground segmentation.