A neurocomputational framework of cross-context generalization: dynamic representational geometry in high-level visual cortex and dual coding in vmPFC

A neurocomputational framework of cross-context generalization: dynamic representational geometry in high-level visual cortex and dual coding in vmPFC | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A neurocomputational framework of cross-context generalization: dynamic representational geometry in high-level visual cortex and dual coding in vmPFC Huiguang He, Bincheng Wen, Chuncheng Zhang, Changde Du, Le Chang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8125832/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The ability to generalize learned knowledge across contexts is crucial to human cognition, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we employed a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling to investigate how the ventral temporal cortex (VTC) supports context-dependent value inference. Our results reveal that VTC facilitates value inference through two distinct mechanisms: conveying object identity information to indirectly support value computation in downstream regions, and dynamically adjusting object representational geometry via amplitude- and phase-based modulation of voxel preference features to directly engage in value computation. Crucially, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) acts as an integrative hub, establishing dual representations for flexible behavior that simultaneously encode: (a) abstract value, enabling cross-context generalization through parallel structure, and (b) modulated VTC representation, enabling context-specific value inferences. Overall, our results advance a novel neurocomputational framework explaining how adaptive sensory processing mechanisms support generalization across contexts. Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive neuroscience/Decision Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour Biological sciences/Physiology/Neurophysiology Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Sensory processing Object recognition Context-dependent task Modulation of Representational geometry Ventral temporal cortex Artificial neural networks fMRI MEG Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8125832","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":555178225,"identity":"385e059e-b5d2-4b0f-bea9-b394d46ea7a3","order_by":0,"name":"Huiguang He","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwbGBghLgoHxQQKpWpgNiNQCAxIMbBJEOcxcIrn5NU/NHbsG6eZjFQ9qGOT5G5ifPcCnxXJGYps1z7FnyQ0yx9JuJBxjMJxxgM3cAJ8WgxuJbcY8bIeTGSRyzG4ksDEwbmDgwe9CiJZ/IC353woS/jHYE6Ol+TFv22E7oC1sDIltDImEtZx52MY4t+9wAptEmrFEYp9E8ozDbGb4tRxPf/zhzbfD9vwSyQ8//vhmY9vf3vyMUGiDnQF0EhgA2cwE1AMB8wcgYU9Y3SgYBaNgFIxYAABodEXV0LBXeAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0684-1711","institution":"Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Huiguang","middleName":"","lastName":"He","suffix":""},{"id":555178226,"identity":"8159ef33-b0e6-4f65-baa1-bf08b083dcf3","order_by":1,"name":"Bincheng Wen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bincheng","middleName":"","lastName":"Wen","suffix":""},{"id":555178227,"identity":"4ea568cb-339f-4097-acc2-669746f701a8","order_by":2,"name":"Chuncheng Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chuncheng","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":555178228,"identity":"e15a8f4f-c435-4ca6-859a-b3599daf65b1","order_by":3,"name":"Changde Du","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0084-433X","institution":"Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Changde","middleName":"","lastName":"Du","suffix":""},{"id":555178229,"identity":"4891d018-b651-4c26-aa2b-857184d8ba52","order_by":4,"name":"Le Chang","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6379-0616","institution":"Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Le","middleName":"","lastName":"Chang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-11-16 07:50:07","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8125832/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8125832/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":98843130,"identity":"43484c1d-0063-457a-a332-7fc36ef8745b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-23 03:52:35","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":13390382,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8125832/v1/24c677eba12976564aff9987.pdf"},{"id":98843129,"identity":"feabaefb-8c03-4268-bdf4-9537297cb864","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-23 03:52:35","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":6861,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"NCOMMS2597799T.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8125832/v1/a330949df0ccd01ea8ac0f3b.json"},{"id":99308308,"identity":"d162ea27-c42c-4065-a1a2-e3eebbed988b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-31 16:08:14","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":13181836,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8125832/v1_covered_6b0ec8b9-3ed7-42c5-b123-db4b876e99c1.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"A neurocomputational framework of cross-context generalization: dynamic representational geometry in high-level visual cortex and dual coding in vmPFC","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Object recognition, Context-dependent task, Modulation of Representational geometry, Ventral temporal cortex, Artificial neural networks, fMRI, MEG","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8125832/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8125832/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The ability to generalize learned knowledge across contexts is crucial to human cognition, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we employed a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling to investigate how the ventral temporal cortex (VTC) supports context-dependent value inference. Our results reveal that VTC facilitates value inference through two distinct mechanisms: conveying object identity information to indirectly support value computation in downstream regions, and dynamically adjusting object representational geometry via amplitude- and phase-based modulation of voxel preference features to directly engage in value computation. Crucially, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) acts as an integrative hub, establishing dual representations for flexible behavior that simultaneously encode: (a) abstract value, enabling cross-context generalization through parallel structure, and (b) modulated VTC representation, enabling context-specific value inferences. Overall, our results advance a novel neurocomputational framework explaining how adaptive sensory processing mechanisms support generalization across contexts.","manuscriptTitle":"A neurocomputational framework of cross-context generalization: dynamic representational geometry in high-level visual cortex and dual coding in vmPFC","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-23 03:52:30","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8125832/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-communications","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"NCOMMS","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Communications](http://www.nature.com/ncomms/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://mts-ncomms.nature.com/","title":"Nature Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Communications","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"906dc785-feef-43d3-9c25-8d5320deba45","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":59083634,"name":"Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive neuroscience/Decision"},{"id":59083635,"name":"Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour"},{"id":59083636,"name":"Biological sciences/Physiology/Neurophysiology"},{"id":59083637,"name":"Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Sensory processing"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-02T14:29:14+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-23 03:52:30","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8125832","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8125832","identity":"rs-8125832","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}