TUM Confirms Hubel-Wiesel Visual Perception Model

Researchers at Technical University of Munich, led by Arthur Konnerth, Chen Yang, and Marinus Kloos, have resolved a 60-year scientific debate regarding visual perception. Their study, published in Science (journal), confirms the 1981 Nobel Prize-winning model by David H. Hubel and Torsten Wiesel. The research utilized a high-resolution imaging approach and optogenetics to observe visual information flow from neuron to neuron in mice. They found that signals from the thalamus are non-specific, while orientation selectivity emerges through processing within the cortex, validating Hubel and Wiesel's feedforward model. This breakthrough not only solidifies a foundational theory in neuroscience but also introduces a versatile method for analyzing synaptic function, potentially aiding in the identification of dysfunctional circuits in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. The study also revealed differences in learning and plasticity capacity between corticocortical and thalamocortical synapses.