Calculus of Variations and Geometric Measure Theory

M. Bertalmío - L. Calatroni - V. Franceschi - B. Franceschiello - A. Gomez-Villa - D. Prandi

Visual illusions via neural dynamics: Wilson-Cowan-type models and the efficient representation principle

created by franceschi on 04 Mar 2020

[BibTeX]

Accepted Paper

Inserted: 4 mar 2020
Last Updated: 4 mar 2020

Journal: Journal of Neurophysiology
Year: 2020

ArXiv: 1907.13004 PDF

Abstract:

In this work we have aimed to reproduce supra-threshold perception phenomena, specifically visual illusions, with Wilson-Cowan-type models of neuronal dynamics. We have found that it is indeed possible to do so, but that the ability to replicate visual illusions is related to how well the neural activity equations comply with the efficient representation principle. Our first contribution is to show that the Wilson-Cowan equations can reproduce a number of brightness and orientation-dependent illusions, and that the latter type of illusions require that the neuronal dynamics equations consider explicitly the orientation, as expected. Then, we formally prove that there can't be an energy functional that the Wilson-Cowan equations are minimizing, but that a slight modification makes them variational and yields a model that is consistent with the efficient representation principle. Finally, we show that this new model provides a better reproduction of visual illusions than the original Wilson-Cowan formulation.


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