Toward Identifying the Systems-Level Primitives of Cortex by In-Circuit Testing.

The hypothesis considered here is that cognition is based on a small set of systems-level computational primitives that are defined at a level higher than single neurons. For one such set of primitives, quantitative feasibility has been demonstrated by analysis and computer simulation. In this note we point out that emerging technologies for stimulation and recording are making it possible to test directly whether cortex is capable of performing this particular set. Such an experimental program would therefore provide a potential avenue toward uncovering the actual intermediate-level primitives used by cortex.