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A sensory–motor theory of the neocortex

Nature Neuroscience volume 27, pages 1221–1235 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Recent neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies suggest a close interaction between sensory and motor processes across the neocortex. Here, I propose that the neocortex implements active predictive coding (APC): each cortical area estimates both latent sensory states and actions (including potentially abstract actions internal to the cortex), and the cortex as a whole predicts the consequences of actions at multiple hierarchical levels. Feedback from higher areas modulates the dynamics of state and action networks in lower areas. I show how the same APC architecture can explain (1) how we recognize an object and its parts using eye movements, (2) why perception seems stable despite eye movements, (3) how we learn compositional representations, for example, part–whole hierarchies, (4) how complex actions can be planned using simpler actions, and (5) how we form episodic memories of sensory–motor experiences and learn abstract concepts such as a family tree. I postulate a mapping of the APC model to the laminar architecture of the cortex and suggest possible roles for cortico–cortical and cortico–subcortical pathways.

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Fig. 1: Widespread influence of actions across the cortex.
Fig. 2: Using hierarchies and compositionality to simplify complex tasks.
Fig. 3: Active vision, part–whole learning and transfer of knowledge.
Fig. 4: Hierarchical planning.

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Acknowledgements

I thank A. Fisher, D. Gklezakos, P. Jiang, P. Rangarajan and V. Sathish for many discussions and the collaborative work cited in the text. I also thank K. Friston, C. Eliasmith and members of his laboratory, researchers at Numenta, S. Mirbagheri, N. Steinmetz and G. Burachas for discussions and feedback. This work was supported by National Science Foundation EFRI grant 2223495, National Institutes of Health grant 1UF1NS126485-01, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under contract HR001120C0021, a UW + Amazon Science Hub grant, a Weill Neurohub Investigator grant, a Frameworks grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation and a Cherng Jia and Elizabeth Yun Hwang Professorship. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.

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    Rajesh P. N. Rao

  2. Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

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Rao, R.P.N. A sensory–motor theory of the neocortex. Nat Neurosci 27, 1221–1235 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01673-9

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