# Development of form vision in nonhuman primates

> **NIH NIH F31** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $30,778

## Abstract

Project Summary
Visual function matures during early life. This maturation is task dependent, and seems to result from changes
downstream from primary visual cortex (V1). Unlike V1, the responses of V2 neurons are sensitive to the pres-
ence of image statistics like those found in images of natural scenes, their "naturalness". This naturalness
selectivity can also be seen in downstream areas in the form vision pathway. To better understand how form vi-
sion develops, we will use texture naturalness to longitudinally measure behavioral and neuronal development in
macaques, recording from areas V1, V2, and IT. The use of a recently-developed target search task enables us to
make all measurements in the same animals, and multi-electrode recording methods allow us to sample multiple
populations simultaneously. Behaviorally, we will measure how selectivity for texture naturalness develops, how
that rate compares to that of contrast sensitivity - measured similarly, and how performance on our search task
compares with measurements made in other animals using conventional experimental methods. Physiologically,
we will measure how selectivity for naturalness develops in areas V1; V2; and IT, compare how that information is
represented - across ages and between areas, and assess how maturational changes in response properties and
dynamics affect the encoding of visual information at the neuronal and population levels. Combining the two, we
will measure how representations of naturalness in V1, V2, and IT neurons correspond to behavioral selectivity
in a task associated with those areas. These experiments will improve our understanding of visual development
in primates, and help us understand how neural responses support perception of the visual world.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9911641
- **Project number:** 1F31EY031249-01
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Gerick Michael Lee
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $30,778
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-01-16 → 2023-01-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9911641

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9911641, Development of form vision in nonhuman primates (1F31EY031249-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9911641. Licensed CC0.

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