Networks of neurons in the cerebral cortex generate complex outputs that are not simply
predicted by their inputs. These emergent responses underlie the function of the cortex.
Understanding how cortical networks carry out such transformations requires a description
of the responses of individual neurons and of their networks at multiple levels of analysis.
We focus on orientation selectivity in primary visual cortex as a model system to understand
cortical network computations. Recent experiments in our laboratory and others provide …