Intracranial recordings show evidence of numerosity tuning in human parietal cortex

TY - JOUR

T1 - Intracranial recordings show evidence of numerosity tuning in human parietal cortex

AU - van Dijk, Jelle A

AU - de Jong, Maartje C

AU - Piantoni, Gio

AU - Fracasso, Alessio

AU - Vansteensel, Mariska J

AU - Groen, Iris I A

AU - Petridou, Natalia

AU - Dumoulin, Serge O

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Numerosity is the set size of a group of items. Numerosity perception is a trait shared across numerous species. Numerosity-selective neural populations are thought to underlie numerosity perception. These neurons have been identified primarily using electrical recordings in animal models and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans. Here we use electrical intracranial recordings to investigate numerosity tuning in humans, focusing on high-frequency transient activations. These recordings combine a high spatial and temporal resolution and can bridge the gap between animal models and human recordings. In line with previous studies, we find numerosity-tuned responses at parietal sites in two out of three participants. Neuronal populations at these locations did not respond to other visual stimuli, i.e. faces, houses, and letters, in contrast to several occipital sites. Our findings further corroborate the specificity of numerosity tuning of in parietal cortex, and further link fMRI results and electrophysiological recordings.

AB - Numerosity is the set size of a group of items. Numerosity perception is a trait shared across numerous species. Numerosity-selective neural populations are thought to underlie numerosity perception. These neurons have been identified primarily using electrical recordings in animal models and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans. Here we use electrical intracranial recordings to investigate numerosity tuning in humans, focusing on high-frequency transient activations. These recordings combine a high spatial and temporal resolution and can bridge the gap between animal models and human recordings. In line with previous studies, we find numerosity-tuned responses at parietal sites in two out of three participants. Neuronal populations at these locations did not respond to other visual stimuli, i.e. faces, houses, and letters, in contrast to several occipital sites. Our findings further corroborate the specificity of numerosity tuning of in parietal cortex, and further link fMRI results and electrophysiological recordings.

KW - Brain Mapping/methods

KW - Humans

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods

KW - Parietal Lobe/diagnostic imaging

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0272087

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0272087

M3 - Article

C2 - 35921261

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 17

SP - e0272087

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

IS - 8

ER -