Have you ever seen something that doesn’t quite add up? Maybe a shape in the dark resembles a face, or an orange momentarily looks like an apple. Scientists now have a new idea about how different brain regions may work together to resolve these visual mix-ups.
In a study published in Nature Neuroscience , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cynthia R. Stebbins Fellow Mitra Javadzadeh and collaborators at the University of Cambridge and University College London studied two neighboring regions of the visual cortex. When the regions agreed, their shared activity lasted longer. But when they disagreed, the mismatch quickly faded within a fraction of a second. This shift offers a glimpse into how the brain forms a consensus for reaching conclusions.
Brain regions have specialized blocks that receive distinct streams of information from sensory inputs, yet the brain still operates as a unified whole. “We are trying to understand how you can have such a high level of specialization between these different blocks, yet always have a consistent holistic outcome,” Javadzadeh says.
Researchers have long identified two visual processing areas in the brain’s neocortex: a primary visual cortex (V1) and lateromedial visual area (LM). Whenever the brain sees and comprehends something, it is not a one-way street. These two systems remain in two-way contact with each other.
Javadzadeh and her collaborators trained mice to distinguish between two visual patterns tilted at opposite angles, offering a reward for only one orientation. Next, they briefly silenced one of the visual processing areas—V1 or LM—in the middle of a task. They then observed how one region functions when its partner goes quiet. Using these recorded observations, they built an artificial neural network model representing the V1-LM circuit. They were then able to simulate how the circuit would respond when specific neurons are manipulated.
The team discovered that mismatched activity patterns between the two regions quickly dissipate, whereas patterns where both areas agree are sustained. “We find that over time, these types of connections between areas implement a mechanism we call consensus building,” Javadzadeh explains.
While the study looked specifically at two visual areas, Javadzadeh’s team is further investigating whether similar principles work across the entire neocortex. “For example, when what you see contradicts with what you hear, do you still use the same kind of mechanisms to reconcile these two?” she wonders.
If so, dynamic consensus building could point to a more comprehensive understanding of the brain itself—including what happens when different brain regions fail to reach a consistent interpretation of the world. The same principles could also inspire new ways of thinking about how AI systems reconcile conflicting information.
“While we understand individual building blocks of the brain, what is the glue that puts them together?” Javadzadeh asks. “Knowing that can finally help us understand how the brain works as a whole.”
Nature Neuroscience
Reciprocal Connections Dynamically Build Consensus Between Neocortical Areas
18-Sep-2026