Peking University Collaboration Reconstructs Movie Frames From Optogenetically Stimulated Mouse Cortex
A collaboration involving Peking University converted dynamic natural movie frames into spatiotemporal patterns of optogenetic stimulation in awake mice, then reconstructed movie frames from responses in the primary visual cortex. Comparing natural viewing with artificial stimulation, they found that stimulation evoked broadly comparable cortical dynamics and aligned representations. A deep learning model reconstructed frames from cortical signals under both conditions. The animal study offers a proof of concept for evaluating how visual cortical prostheses might translate images into stimulation patterns. It does not establish that stimulation produced the corresponding visual experience in mice or restored vision in humans.