Intrinsic interval timing, not temporal prediction, underlies ramping dynamics in visual and parietal cortex, during passive behavior

Abstract

Ramping neural activity is widely interpreted as a signature of predictive processing, but whether such signals truly reflect predictions or instead emerge from sensory mechanisms remains unclear. To address this question, we used two-photon calcium imaging across multiple cell types in visual and parietal cortex while awake mice passively received repeated audiovisual stimuli presented under distinct temporal structures. Neurons segregated into two broad response classes: stimulus-activated (ramp-down) and stimulus-inhibited (ramp-up) populations with diverse temporal kinetics. Multiple findings argued against a predictive interpretation: ramping activity was present in naive animals, neural responses changed immediately after short/long interval transitions, and unexpected stimulus timings elicited nearly identical responses in predictable and irregular contexts. Population analyses further showed that ramping reflected relaxation from stimulus-evoked activity rather than anticipatory buildup. Heterogeneous kinetics generated a robust population code for elapsed time. Together, these findings show that neural ramps during passive stimulation arise from stimulus-evoked dynamics that intrinsically generate temporal signals, rather than from temporal predictive processing. TeaserRamping activity in visual-parietal cortex during passive stimulation arises from sensory responses, not predictive mechanisms.