Disinhibitory signaling enables flexible coding of top-down information in cortical networks

by Tomas G. Aquino, Robert Kim, Nuttida Rungratsameetaweemana

Flexible behavior requires the ability to modulate sensory processing based on task context, yet the circuit-level mechanisms supporting this capacity remain poorly understood. Here, we combine recurrent neural network modeling and neural recordings from mouse visual cortex to investigate how task context shapes sensory coding. Networks trained on an instruction-based discrimination task develop a disinhibitory interneuron-to-interneuron motif that dynamically gates task-relevant sensory information. Perturbation and lesion analyses show that this motif is necessary for task performance and for maintaining distinct sensory representations across contexts. We validate key predictions in mouse visual cortex, where interneuron activity patterns exhibit comparable task-dependent modulation. These results identify a biologically plausible circuit motif that supports flexible sensory processing and link recurrent connectivity structure to adaptive context integration in both artificial and biological systems.