Three-Layered Neural Model between Cortical areas V1 and IT

Abstract

It is well known that orientation-selective cells in the striate cortex are organized as a spatial structure in the area V1 of the visual cortex, and stimulus-selective cells in the area IT only respond to simple geometrical patterns. However, the neural network structure and its learning principle between the area V1 and the area IT have not been studied sufficiently. This paper presents a hierarchical neural network model between the area V1 and the area IT as well as its learning principle based on Kohonen’s self-organizing model. Experimental results show that the hierarchical neural network organizes orientation-selective cells in the area V1 and stimulus-selective cells responding to simple geometrical patterns in the area IT.