METHODS article
Front. Neural Circuits
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fncir.2025.1542332
Bayesian estimation of orientation and direction tuning captures parameter uncertainty
Provisionally accepted
Zongting Wu1
Stephen D Van Hooser2*- 1Brandeis University, Biochemistry, Waltham, MA, United States
- 2Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States
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This study explores the efficacy of Bayesian estimation in modeling the orientation and direction selectivity of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1). Unlike traditional methods such as least squares, Bayesian estimation adeptly handles the probabilistic nature of neuronal responses, offering robust analysis even with limited data and weak selectivity. Through the analysis of both simulated and experimental data, we demonstrate that Bayesian estimation not only accurately fits the neuronal tuning curves but also effectively captures parameter certainty or uncertainty of both strongly and weakly selective neurons. Our results affirm the complex interdependencies among response parameters and highlight the variability in neuronal behavior under varied stimulus conditions. Our findings provide guidance as to how many response samples are necessary for Bayesian parameter estimation to achieve reliable fitting, making it particularly suitable for studies with constraints on data availability.
Keywords: tuning curves, Motion selectivity, motion processing, spatial processing, Orientation Tuning
Received: 09 Dec 2024; Accepted: 23 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wu and Van Hooser. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Stephen D Van Hooser, Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States
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