In neuroscience, a population vector is the sum of the preferred directions of a population of neurons, weighted by the respective spike counts. The formula for computing the (normalized) population vector, , takes the following form:

The neuronal population vector is the outcome of a computation. It requires a behavioral measure in multidimensional space, a neuronal population, and an orderly variation of neural activity of the constituent elements in the population with the behavioral measure.

Jun 22, 2022 · Here, we review this recent work and discuss how the structures of correlations can have opposite effects on the different functions of neural populations, thus creating trade-offs and...

We show that population vectors based on point-process inputs combine evidence in a form that closely resembles Bayesian inference, with each input spike carrying information about the tuning of the input neuron.

Jan 1, 2014 · The neuronal population vector is the outcome of a computation by which weighted neural activities of individual elements in a population yield an estimate of the population’s functional operation.

Dec 1, 1997 · The Population Vector as a measure for the interpretation of neuronal activity in terms of sensory or motor events has been reliably used in the past for the case of uniformly distributed neuronal maps.

Dec 1, 2000 · (b) For each movement direction, the activity of each cell scales the length of a vector aligned with its PD, and the vector sum of all cells defines a population vector. It has been shown that...

The construction of a population vec-tor from the firing rates of cells. (a) The activ-ities of motor cortical neurons tend to be broadly tuned to the direction of movement (dashed lines).

In this view, the preferred orientation of a neuron defines the direction of a vector and the neuron’s firing rate provides the amplitude. The neuronal population coded the stimulus orientation as the vector sum of all the neurons; hence, this coding scheme is termed the “population vector”.

Oct 17, 2024 · By constructing a population vector—a weighted sum of the firing rates of multiple neurons—the direction of the hand movement can be accurately decoded (akin to the linear decoder in Figure 2).