Tuned neural responses to haptic numerosity in the putamen

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tuned neural responses to haptic numerosity in the putamen

AU - Hofstetter, Shir

AU - Dumoulin, Serge O

N1 - Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2021/5/18

Y1 - 2021/5/18

N2 - The ability to perceive the numerosity of items in the environment is critical for behavior of species across the evolutionary tree. Though the focus of studies of numerosity perception lays on the parietal and frontal cortices, the ability to perceive numerosity by a range of species suggests that subcortical nuclei may be implicated in the process. Recently, we have uncovered tuned neural responses to haptic numerosity in the human cortex. Here, we questioned whether subcortical nuclei are also engaged in perception of haptic numerosity. To that end, we utilized a task of haptic numerosity exploration, together with population receptive field model of numerosity selective responses measured at ultra-high field MRI (7T). We found tuned neural responses to haptic numerosity in the bilateral putamen. Similar to the cortex, the population receptive fields tuning width increased with numerosity. The tuned responses to numerosity in the putamen extend its role in cognition and propose that the motor-sensory loops of the putamen and basal ganglia might take an active part in numerosity perception and preparation for future action.

AB - The ability to perceive the numerosity of items in the environment is critical for behavior of species across the evolutionary tree. Though the focus of studies of numerosity perception lays on the parietal and frontal cortices, the ability to perceive numerosity by a range of species suggests that subcortical nuclei may be implicated in the process. Recently, we have uncovered tuned neural responses to haptic numerosity in the human cortex. Here, we questioned whether subcortical nuclei are also engaged in perception of haptic numerosity. To that end, we utilized a task of haptic numerosity exploration, together with population receptive field model of numerosity selective responses measured at ultra-high field MRI (7T). We found tuned neural responses to haptic numerosity in the bilateral putamen. Similar to the cortex, the population receptive fields tuning width increased with numerosity. The tuned responses to numerosity in the putamen extend its role in cognition and propose that the motor-sensory loops of the putamen and basal ganglia might take an active part in numerosity perception and preparation for future action.

U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118178

DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118178

M3 - Article

C2 - 34020014

SN - 1053-8119

VL - 238

SP - 118178

JO - NeuroImage

JF - NeuroImage

ER -