小鼠对不同拓扑性质图形的识别

Different Topological Properties Pattern Recognition in Mice

视觉感知的一系列研究都支持大范围拓扑感知的理论.拓扑性质作为整体性质,是视觉感知的基础.视觉对图形拓扑特征差异的感知要优先于对局部特征差异的感知.采用Y迷宫研究了小鼠对不同拓扑性质图形的识别.训练小鼠学习识别圆环和实心矩形这一对拓扑性质不同的图形,之后用拓扑特征相同或不同的其他图形测试小鼠,这些图形包括空心矩形、实心圆、缺口的圆环、缺口的空心矩形.实验结果表明,学会识别圆环(奖励)和实心矩形(无奖励)的小鼠无法区分实心圆和实心矩形以及圆环和空心矩形,但是能够分别从缺口圆环、缺口的空心矩形、实心圆与空心矩形组成的图形对中识别出空心矩形.因此证实了小鼠的视觉系统能够感知拓扑特征的差异并且具有对拓扑性质的概括能力.结果为拓扑知觉对视觉系统来说是基本的这一假设提供了证据.

The theory of topological visual perception was proposed in previous studies. According to this theory, topological properties, as a global properties, is the primitive of visual perception, and figures with topological differences could be discriminated easier than figures with local feature differences. The different topological properties pattern recognition was investigated in mice by using a modified Y-maze. Two stimuli of topological different features were used to train mice to distinguish between ring and square. Besides, a ring and a square, the other stimulus which topologically features different or same carried as test. These stimulus patterns include a hollow square, a disk, a ring with a gap and a hollow square with a gap. The results showed that the mice trained to discriminate the ring （the reward pattern） from the square （the not reward pattern）were unable to distinguish between the disk and the square as well as the ring and the hollow square, but were able to discriminate the hollow square from the ring with a gap, the hollow square with a gap or the disk, respectively. The data suggest that visual system in mice may be sensitive to topological distinction and extract the topological properties to transfer. Moreover, these findings provide a new evidence for the hypothesis that topological perception is a fundamental property of vision.