The retina is part of the brain and contains specialized cells that process visual information. This research studies unusual retinal cells that become silent when exposed to visual stimuli rather than becoming active. Experiments reveal multiple subtypes responding to different visual patterns, improving understanding of how the eye and brain process visual signals.

This research investigates the neural “language” of vision, asking whether the brain encodes images using compositional or symbolic patterns. Using machine learning and artificial neural networks, the work reveals evidence for a compositional visual code, informing the future design of advanced visual prosthetics.