Optimal information transmission through cortico-cortical synapses

Neurons in visual cortex receive a large fraction of their inputs from other cortical neurons with a similar stimulus preference. Here we use models of neuronal population activity and information theoretic tools to investigate whether this arrangement of synapses allows efficient information transmission. We find that efficient information transmission requires that the tuning curve of the afferent neurons is approximately as wide as the spread of stimulus preferences of the afferent neurons reaching a target neuron. This is compatible with present neurophysiological evidence from visual cortex. We thus suggest that the organization of VI cortico-cortical synaptic inputs allows optimal information transmission. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.