Abstract
Unlike in laboratory settings, natural decisions are often made under uncertain beliefs about task demands. To quantify the unexplored dynamics between task-belief and decisions, we trained macaque monkeys to make perceptual discriminations under implicitly evolving task rules. By analyzing task- and perception-related signals from simultaneously recorded neuronal populations in cortical areas 7a and V1, we demonstrated that fluctuating task-belief and perceptual decision-making are inextricably linked. Stronger task-belief is correlated with better perception, and in turn, response fluctuations in visual neurons affect task-belief changes. Our results demonstrate that combining large-scale inter-area recordings with rigorously controlled complex, realistic behaviors can bring new understanding of the relationship between cognition and behavior in health and disease.
One Sentence Summary Reciprocal dependence of fluctuations in task-belief and perception explains behavior
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.