Adaptation towards scale-free dynamics improves cortical stimulus discrimination at the cost of reduced detection
Fig 1
Hypothesized relationships between stimulus discrimination and detection during adaptation.
Cartoon illustration of how the gross detection of input may differ from the ability to discriminate fine input differences during adaptation following stimulus onset. One possibility–the covarying hypothesis–is that the highly active transient response carries the most information about the stimulus regardless of whether we consider discrimination or detection. In this view, adaptive depression of synapses reduces information transmission and the critical dynamics of the steady state are too noisy for effective discrimination. Alternatively, the trade-off hypothesis is that the strong onset response is good for detection, but lacks the selectivity needed for good discrimination. This view is in line with the prediction that the critical dynamics of the steady state optimize information transmission.