How are priors and likelihood combined in the sensory brain

Perception and perceptual decision-making are strongly facilitated by prior knowledge about the probabilistic structure of the world. While the computational benefits of using priors in perception are clear, there are myriad ways in which this computation can be realized. In my talk, I will discuss two recent observations from my lab that speak to its potential neural implementation in sensory neurocircuits. First, I will present data that suggest a separation of priors and likelihood in different layers of the neocortex. Second, I will show how priors and likelihood are integrated, and how this process is mediated by selective attention.

Further reading:
de Lange FP, Heilbron M, Kok P (2018). How Do Expectations Shape Perception? Trends in Cognitive Sciences 22, 764-779.