[SOUND].

Indeed we can find neurons that are

sensitive to
motion, in the area MT of the monkeys
brian.
So these neurons are sensitive to motion,
so here, on this
graph, we see the activity of such neuron
in the area MT.
And you see the activity of this neuron is
indicated by the black dots,
and it is proportional to the amount of
dots moving in the same direction.
So the more dots are moving in the same
direction the more this neuron is active.
So, actually, in this graph you can also
see the performance of the task.
So white dots represent the proportion of
the correct responses.
So, I actually see a perfect overlay.
A perfect match of the behavior of the
monkey, and of the neuronal activity.
So, here, neurons in the area MT are
perfect motion detectors.
The more motion in specific direction is
present
on the screen, the more these neurons are
inactive.
So, you can find neurons in this area that
are sensitive
to left motion, to the right motion, to
any kinds of directions.
And these neurons are simply the vectors
of motion,
so they collect evidences for motion in
certain direction.
Okay, there are some motion detectors in
the brain,
but how is the decision is made by the
brain?
So let's make a look to the
model, the fusion model, explaining the
decision-making process.
So first, information is collected by the
motion detectors.
So in our task, some neurons are sensitive
to left
side motion, some neurons are sensitive to
right side motion.
So these neurons are activated by a
motion presented in the screen, and the
activities
of these neurons is proportional to the
amount of dots moving in a certain
direction.
And the next stage, this information is
integrated by other neurons.
And as, as we will see, these neurons are
located in the area lLIP,
so activity of these neurons, actually
represents
the integration of the sensory information
over time.
So the activity of this neurons, gradually
increases over
time, and whenever the activity of this
integration neurons
of integrators crosses the decisions
threshold, the decision is
finalized and this information is sent to
the motor neurons.
These motor neurons actually switch the
gaze in the specific direction.
So, at the same time, these integrators,
these neurons
integrate the information from the
detectors, inhibit alternative decisions.
So, they make inhibitory projections to
the alternative decision-making neurons.
And, actually, this network compares
evidences for the alternative.
So, if the integration or integrated
neurons, getting information
from the left motion detector, increases
activity to a decision-making
threshold, it will, at the same time,
inhibit alternative decisions,
and activate motion, switching of the gaze
to certain direction.
It will send information to the brain area
from the eye field area.
And neurons in the frontal eye field, will
switch
the gaze into the specific direction,
switch gaze left.
So this simple model, can actually explain
the decision-making process, during the
perceptual decisions.
Lets make a look to the behavior of actual
neurons.
So, diffusion model suggests that
this integrator, this decision-making
neuron, accumulates
information from the motion detectors over
time, and gradually increases activity,
yes?
So, if activity of this decision-making
neuron, or this
integrator, crosses the decision
threshold, the decision is finalized.
So next information goes to the motor
cortex, to the frontal eye field,
and these neurons in the motor cortex will
switch the gaze in the southern direction.
So here you see the integration process.
Decision-making neurons integrate
information over time.
They collect information from detectors,
and if they do get enough information, if
they are activated to the decision-making
threshold, the decision is finalized.
So let's make a look to the activity of
the real neurone.
So here, you see the activity of the
neuron
in the area LIP, this is the
decision-making neuron.
This is a integrator, that accumulates
information from the motion detectors, and
integrate it over time, and gradually
increases activity, during the decision.
So, as you see here, activity of this
neuron is gradually increased over time.
And if this is a relatively simple
decision, activity increases faster, as
indicated by the black line, or slowly,
very slowly as indicated by the red line.
So, we see here an integration process.
If we will plot all of these graphs, all
of these
curves, firing rates, relatively to the
onset of the decision, relatively
to the moment when monkey switches the
gaze into the certain
direction, as you see on the right side of
this graph.
You will see that in all trials, the
activity of this neuron, reaches a
decisions threshold.
At this moment, at this particular moment,
the decision is finalized,
and information is sent to their motor
cortex, and monkey switches the gaze.
So actually arousing the decisions
threshold, we
can predict the decision, perfectly
predict the decision.
As you see here, we see a fundamental
process of decision-making.
So we see how information is accumulated
by the neurons over time, we see that
the accumulation of information, activity
the neuron,
the firing rate, reaches a certain
decisions threshold.
Activity of this neuron can even predict
the random decisions, so red curves
indicate the
activity of the neuron, and the most
difficult
condition when all dots are [UNKNOWN]
random directions.
So in this case, animal has to switch gaze
randomly.
Even at this situation, this neuron very
slowly accumulates information, and
reaches a decision-making threshold.
Interestingly, we can even electrically
stimulate this neuron
and, we can change the decision of the
monkey.
So we see here a fundamental process of
decision-making.
We can summarize it in this graph.
So first, motion information is projected
to our retina.
And next, our motion detectors in the area
MT, that are sensitive to particular
motion, are activated.
So the information from the motion
detectors
is collected by integrators, by the
decision-making neurons,
that accumulate information over time, and
at the
same time, inhibit alternative decisions
by inhibitory neurons.
And finally, the activity of the
integrators of
these neurons in the area LIP, reaches a
decisions
threshold, they activate neurons in the
frontal eye field,
and animal switches the gaze in the
certain direction.
So this is really, really simple model,
but
it actually explains perfectly, well the
decision-making process.
So why do we need these three important
stages for the decision-making process?
So indeed first, the motion detectors
accumulate sensory evidences for the
alternatives.
Next, decision-making neurons in the LIP
area, integrate this information over
time.
And finally, the evidences for the
alternatives are compared.
And if this critical difference for the
evidence is in line with alternative
A or alternative A crosses the threshold,
the decision is finalized.
We need these three stages to actually
cope with the noise in our sensory
processing.
Simply, sensory evidences for
alternatives, are normally quite noisy.
So, it makes sense to integrate this
information, in the decision-making
neurons, For example, in
the area LIP, to integrate it over
time, and remove noise from the sensory
evidences.
Next, we simply compare the evidences for
two alternatives, and
if this difference reaches a certain
threshold, we finalize the decision.
So, this network of neurons, basically
accumulate
information, for Decision A and Decision
B.
And, if the evidence for certain decision,
crosses the decisions threshold, the
decision is finalized.
[SOUND]