Perceptual stability reflected in neuronal pattern similarities in human visual cortex

The magnitude of neuronal activation is commonly considered a critical factor for conscious perception of visual content. However, this dogma contrasts with the phenomenon of rapid adaptation, in which the magni-tude of neuronal activation drops dramatically in a rapid manner while the visual stimulus and the conscious experience it elicits remain stable. Here, we report that the profiles of multi-site activation patterns and their relational geometry-i.e., the similarity distances between activation patterns, as revealed using intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings-are sustained during extended visual stimulation despite the major magnitude decrease. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that conscious perceptual con-tent is associated with the neuronal pattern profiles and their similarity distances, rather than the overall acti-vation magnitude, in human visual cortex.

Automated summary

The magnitude of neuronal activation is commonly considered important for conscious perception of visual content. However, the phenomenon of rapid adaptation challenges this belief, as neuronal activation drops while visual stimuli and conscious experience remain stable. This study shows that multi-site activation patterns and their similarity distances, as measured by iEEG recordings, remain consistent during extended visual stimulation despite the decrease in magnitude. These findings suggest that conscious perception in the human visual cortex is linked to neuronal pattern profiles and their similarity distances, rather than overall activation magnitude.