Spatial context non-uniformly modulates inter-laminar information flow in the primary visual cortex.

Our visual experience is a result of the concerted activity of neuronal ensembles in the sensory hierarchy. Yet, how the spatial organization of objects influences this activity remains poorly understood. We investigate how inter-laminar information flow within the primary visual cortex (V1) is affected by visual stimuli in isolation or with flankers at spatial configurations that are known to cause non-uniform degradation of perception. By employing dimensionality reduction approaches to simultaneous, layer-specific population recordings, we establish that information propagation between cortical layers occurs along a structurally stable communication subspace. The spatial configuration of contextual stimuli differentially modulates inter-laminar communication efficacy, the balance of feedforward and effective feedback signaling, and contextual signaling in the superficial layers. Remarkably, these modulations mirror the spatially non-uniform aspects of perceptual degradation. Our results suggest a model of retinotopically non-uniform cortical connectivity in the output layers of V1 that influences information flow in the sensory hierarchy.