Divisive Normalization Predicts Adaptation-Induced Response Changes in Macaque Inferior Temporal Cortex.

Stimulus repetition alters neural responses to the repeated stimulus. This so-called adaptation phenomenon has been robustly demonstrated in brains of different species and is considered to be a form of short-term plasticity inherent to the processing of sensory stimuli. Nevertheless, the functional role and underlying mechanisms of adaptation remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that divisive normalization, a canonical neural computation operating throughout the brain, predicts the adaptation-induced changes in response of single neurons to complex stimulus configurations in the macaque inferotemporal cortex. Our findings embed adaptation effects of inferotemporal neurons into the context of a broader neural network perspective that includes divisive normalization. Additionally, our findings have implications for understanding of the function of adaptation in higher-order sensory cortices.