This perspective describes predictive processing as a computational framework for
understanding cortical function in the context of emerging evidence, with a focus on sensory …

Sensory areas are spontaneously active in the absence of sensory stimuli. This
spontaneous activity has long been studied; however, its functional role remains largely …

The cortex is organized as a hierarchical processing structure. Feedback from higher levels
of the hierarchy, known as top-down signals, have been shown to be involved in attentional …

Animals sense the environment through pathways that link sensory organs to the brain. In
the visual system, these feedforward pathways define the classical feedforward receptive …

Learned associations between stimuli in different sensory modalities can shape the way we
perceive these stimuli. However, it is not well understood how these interactions are …

The dendrites of neocortical pyramidal neurons are excitable. However, it is unknown how
synaptic inputs engage nonlinear dendritic mechanisms during sensory processing in vivo …

The potential for neuronal representations of external stimuli to be modified by previous
experience is critical for efficient sensory processing and improved behavioral outcomes. To …

Primary sensory cortex has long been believed to play a straightforward role in the initial
processing of sensory information. Yet, the superficial layers of cortex overall are sparsely …

Animals depend on fast and reliable detection of novel stimuli in their environment. Neurons
in multiple sensory areas respond more strongly to novel in comparison to familiar stimuli …

Highlights•Arousal and locomotion modulate neuronal activity in primary visual
cortex.•Neurons in primary visual cortex respond to visuomotor mismatch.•Experience …