Tanaka Keiji
RIKEN Brain Research Institute, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
Cereb Cortex. 2003 Jan;13(1):90-9. doi: 10.1093/cercor/13.1.90.
Cells in the inferotemporal cortex (area TE) selectively respond to complex visual object features and those that respond to similar features cluster in a columnar region elongated vertical to the cortical surface. What are the functional roles of the column structure in the inferotemporal cortex? Selectivity of cells within a column is similar but not identical. If we emphasize the similarity among cells within a column, we can regard the columns as units for description of object features. The variety of stimulus selectivity in a column may work as a tool to disregard subtle changes in input images when the system is directed to invariant recognition. Alternatively, if we emphasize the differences in selectivity of cells within a column, the columns can be compared to differential amplifiers, each of which represents variety within a group of features. The enormous number of objects present in nature can be efficiently described by combining outputs of the multiple differential amplifiers in the inferotemporal cortex. The two modes may work in parallel, with a graded balance changing according to the behavioral context. Determining whether or not these hypotheses are valid will require further studies.
颞下皮质（TE区）中的细胞选择性地对复杂视觉对象特征做出反应，而那些对相似特征做出反应的细胞聚集在一个垂直于皮质表面拉长的柱状区域内。颞下皮质中柱状结构的功能作用是什么？柱内细胞的选择性相似但不相同。如果我们强调柱内细胞之间的相似性，我们可以将这些柱视为描述对象特征的单位。当系统进行不变识别时，柱内刺激选择性的多样性可以作为一种工具，忽略输入图像中的细微变化。或者，如果我们强调柱内细胞选择性的差异，这些柱可以比作差分放大器，每个差分放大器代表一组特征中的多样性。通过组合颞下皮质中多个差分放大器的输出，可以有效地描述自然界中存在的大量对象。这两种模式可能并行工作，平衡程度根据行为背景而变化。确定这些假设是否有效需要进一步研究。
