Henry Beale
@bealebrains.bsky.social
PhD candidate researching brain rhythms in vision. Psychophys, comp modelling, & EEG. Brisbane, Australia.
www.henrybeale.com
www.henrybeale.com
Reposted by Henry Beale
Interested in how we make preference-driven decisions, and how this is implemented in the brain?
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
Tracing the neural trajectories of evidence accumulation and motor preparation processes during voluntary decisions
Voluntary decisions have previously been described by where they arise in the brain and how actions corresponding to one's choice are prepared. However, the processes by which these internally guided ...
www.biorxiv.org
November 3, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Interested in how we make preference-driven decisions, and how this is implemented in the brain?
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
Reposted by Henry Beale
What is the representation underlying cognition? Formal models rely on multidimensional scaling of similarity judgments to derive the representation. In this preprint with @mdlbayes.bsky.social, we take an alternative approach; we build Bayesian generative models for three cognitive tasks. /1
Similarity judgments and visual working memory do not share the same cognitive representation: https://osf.io/fm9vz
November 3, 2025 at 7:34 AM
What is the representation underlying cognition? Formal models rely on multidimensional scaling of similarity judgments to derive the representation. In this preprint with @mdlbayes.bsky.social, we take an alternative approach; we build Bayesian generative models for three cognitive tasks. /1
Reposted by Henry Beale
How does our brain excel at complex object recognition, yet get fooled by simple illusory contours? What unifying principle governs all Gestalt laws of perceptual organization?
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
October 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
How does our brain excel at complex object recognition, yet get fooled by simple illusory contours? What unifying principle governs all Gestalt laws of perceptual organization?
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
Reposted by Henry Beale
Super happy to share my very first first-author paper out in
@sfnjournals.bsky.social! We show content-specific predictions are represented in an alpha rhythm. It’s been a beautiful, inspiring, yet challenging journey.
Huge thanks to everyone, especially @peterkok.bsky.social @jhaarsma.bsky.social
@sfnjournals.bsky.social! We show content-specific predictions are represented in an alpha rhythm. It’s been a beautiful, inspiring, yet challenging journey.
Huge thanks to everyone, especially @peterkok.bsky.social @jhaarsma.bsky.social
@dotproduct.bsky.social's first first author paper is finally out in @sfnjournals.bsky.social! Her findings show that content-specific predictions fluctuate with alpha frequencies, suggesting a more specific role for alpha oscillations than we may have thought. With @jhaarsma.bsky.social. 🧠🟦 🧠🤖
Contents of visual predictions oscillate at alpha frequencies
Predictions of future events have a major impact on how we process sensory signals. However, it remains unclear how the brain keeps predictions online in anticipation of future inputs. Here, we combin...
www.jneurosci.org
October 21, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Super happy to share my very first first-author paper out in
@sfnjournals.bsky.social! We show content-specific predictions are represented in an alpha rhythm. It’s been a beautiful, inspiring, yet challenging journey.
Huge thanks to everyone, especially @peterkok.bsky.social @jhaarsma.bsky.social
@sfnjournals.bsky.social! We show content-specific predictions are represented in an alpha rhythm. It’s been a beautiful, inspiring, yet challenging journey.
Huge thanks to everyone, especially @peterkok.bsky.social @jhaarsma.bsky.social
Reposted by Henry Beale
📜🎉 I'm happy to share that my review of clinical research investigating aperiodic neural activity is now published!
It examines 177 reports of aperiodic activity in clinical disorders summarizing findings, discussion topics, & making some recommendations!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
It examines 177 reports of aperiodic activity in clinical disorders summarizing findings, discussion topics, & making some recommendations!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
A Systematic Review of Aperiodic Neural Activity in Clinical Investigations
This systematic literature review examines aperiodic neural activity in clinical disorders, summarizing current findings and discussion topics. One-hundred seventy-seven reports from across 38 distin...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 13, 2025 at 3:12 PM
📜🎉 I'm happy to share that my review of clinical research investigating aperiodic neural activity is now published!
It examines 177 reports of aperiodic activity in clinical disorders summarizing findings, discussion topics, & making some recommendations!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
It examines 177 reports of aperiodic activity in clinical disorders summarizing findings, discussion topics, & making some recommendations!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Henry Beale
The final bit of work from my PhD just got published at JOV! We looked at similarity judgements made for naturalistic image patches, and whether these are predicted by simple image statistics… (spoiler: yep!)
Link to paper: doi.org/10.1167/jov....
1/11
Link to paper: doi.org/10.1167/jov....
1/11
Low-level features predict perceived similarity for naturalistic images | JOV | ARVO Journals
doi.org
October 8, 2025 at 7:13 AM
The final bit of work from my PhD just got published at JOV! We looked at similarity judgements made for naturalistic image patches, and whether these are predicted by simple image statistics… (spoiler: yep!)
Link to paper: doi.org/10.1167/jov....
1/11
Link to paper: doi.org/10.1167/jov....
1/11
Reposted by Henry Beale
Long time in the making: our preprint of survey study on the diversity with how people seem to experience #mentalimagery. Suggests #aphantasia should be redefined as absence of depictive thought, not merely "not seeing". Some more take home msg:
#psychskysci #neuroscience
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#psychskysci #neuroscience
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 2, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Long time in the making: our preprint of survey study on the diversity with how people seem to experience #mentalimagery. Suggests #aphantasia should be redefined as absence of depictive thought, not merely "not seeing". Some more take home msg:
#psychskysci #neuroscience
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#psychskysci #neuroscience
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Henry Beale
We present our preprint on ViV1T, a transformer for dynamic mouse V1 response prediction. We reveal novel response properties and confirm them in vivo.
With @wulfdewolf.bsky.social, Danai Katsanevaki, @arnoonken.bsky.social, @rochefortlab.bsky.social.
Paper and code at the end of the thread!
🧵1/7
With @wulfdewolf.bsky.social, Danai Katsanevaki, @arnoonken.bsky.social, @rochefortlab.bsky.social.
Paper and code at the end of the thread!
🧵1/7
September 19, 2025 at 12:37 PM
We present our preprint on ViV1T, a transformer for dynamic mouse V1 response prediction. We reveal novel response properties and confirm them in vivo.
With @wulfdewolf.bsky.social, Danai Katsanevaki, @arnoonken.bsky.social, @rochefortlab.bsky.social.
Paper and code at the end of the thread!
🧵1/7
With @wulfdewolf.bsky.social, Danai Katsanevaki, @arnoonken.bsky.social, @rochefortlab.bsky.social.
Paper and code at the end of the thread!
🧵1/7
Reposted by Henry Beale
Happy to share a new preprint in which @paulbuerkner.com and I introduce a novel model-based approach for precisely estimating the onset and offset of M/EEG effects!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Precise temporal localisation of M/EEG effects with Bayesian generalised additive multilevel models
Time-resolved electrophysiological measurements such as those obtained through magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG) offer a unique window onto the neural activity underlying cognitive processes...
www.biorxiv.org
September 1, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Happy to share a new preprint in which @paulbuerkner.com and I introduce a novel model-based approach for precisely estimating the onset and offset of M/EEG effects!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Henry Beale
🚨Pre-print of some cool data from my PhD days!
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
☝️Did you know that visual surprise is (probably) a domain-general signal and/or operates at the object-level?
✌️Did you also know that the timing of this response depends on the specific attribute that violates an expectation?
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
☝️Did you know that visual surprise is (probably) a domain-general signal and/or operates at the object-level?
✌️Did you also know that the timing of this response depends on the specific attribute that violates an expectation?
The Latency of a Domain-General Visual Surprise Signal is Attribute Dependent
Predictions concerning upcoming visual input play a key role in resolving percepts. Sometimes input is surprising, under which circumstances the brain must calibrate erroneous predictions so that perc...
doi.org
August 19, 2025 at 12:30 AM
🚨Pre-print of some cool data from my PhD days!
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
☝️Did you know that visual surprise is (probably) a domain-general signal and/or operates at the object-level?
✌️Did you also know that the timing of this response depends on the specific attribute that violates an expectation?
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
☝️Did you know that visual surprise is (probably) a domain-general signal and/or operates at the object-level?
✌️Did you also know that the timing of this response depends on the specific attribute that violates an expectation?
Reposted by Henry Beale
New paper in Imaging Neuroscience,
Generation of surrogate brain maps preserving spatial autocorrelation through random rotation of geometric eigenmodes
direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Produces surrogates for null hypothesis testing of nonlinear effects within and correlations between brain maps
Generation of surrogate brain maps preserving spatial autocorrelation through random rotation of geometric eigenmodes
direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Produces surrogates for null hypothesis testing of nonlinear effects within and correlations between brain maps
July 17, 2025 at 11:33 PM
New paper in Imaging Neuroscience,
Generation of surrogate brain maps preserving spatial autocorrelation through random rotation of geometric eigenmodes
direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Produces surrogates for null hypothesis testing of nonlinear effects within and correlations between brain maps
Generation of surrogate brain maps preserving spatial autocorrelation through random rotation of geometric eigenmodes
direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Produces surrogates for null hypothesis testing of nonlinear effects within and correlations between brain maps
Reposted by Henry Beale
Out now @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, w/ @akalt.bsky.social & @drmattdavis.bsky.social.
Are sensory sampling rhythms fixed by intrinsically-determined processes, or do they couple to external structure? Here we highlight the incompatibility between these accounts and propose a resolution [1/6]
Are sensory sampling rhythms fixed by intrinsically-determined processes, or do they couple to external structure? Here we highlight the incompatibility between these accounts and propose a resolution [1/6]
June 19, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Out now @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, w/ @akalt.bsky.social & @drmattdavis.bsky.social.
Are sensory sampling rhythms fixed by intrinsically-determined processes, or do they couple to external structure? Here we highlight the incompatibility between these accounts and propose a resolution [1/6]
Are sensory sampling rhythms fixed by intrinsically-determined processes, or do they couple to external structure? Here we highlight the incompatibility between these accounts and propose a resolution [1/6]
Reposted by Henry Beale
New preprint from the lab!
We tested for effects of learning scene-object pairings on distributed patterns of EEG signals. We report clear effects on ERPs but not object decoding performance.
Led by Morgan Kikkawa w/Marta Garrido
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We tested for effects of learning scene-object pairings on distributed patterns of EEG signals. We report clear effects on ERPs but not object decoding performance.
Led by Morgan Kikkawa w/Marta Garrido
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Expectation effects based on newly learnt object-scene associations are modulated by spatial frequency
Objects typically appear within rich visual scenes. Some models of visual system function propose that scene information is extracted from low-spatial frequency components and rapidly propagates throu...
www.biorxiv.org
June 9, 2025 at 6:34 AM
New preprint from the lab!
We tested for effects of learning scene-object pairings on distributed patterns of EEG signals. We report clear effects on ERPs but not object decoding performance.
Led by Morgan Kikkawa w/Marta Garrido
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We tested for effects of learning scene-object pairings on distributed patterns of EEG signals. We report clear effects on ERPs but not object decoding performance.
Led by Morgan Kikkawa w/Marta Garrido
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Henry Beale
"The finding of statistical significance is perhaps the least important attribute of a good experiment...."
David Lykken (1968). Statistical significance in psychological research. Psychological Bulletin. doi.org/10.1037/h002...
David Lykken (1968). Statistical significance in psychological research. Psychological Bulletin. doi.org/10.1037/h002...
June 7, 2025 at 5:35 AM
"The finding of statistical significance is perhaps the least important attribute of a good experiment...."
David Lykken (1968). Statistical significance in psychological research. Psychological Bulletin. doi.org/10.1037/h002...
David Lykken (1968). Statistical significance in psychological research. Psychological Bulletin. doi.org/10.1037/h002...
Reposted by Henry Beale
New paper out in @plosbiology.org w/ Charlie, @phil-johnson.bsky.social, Ella, and Hinze 🎉
We track moving stimuli via EEG, find evidence that motion is extrapolated across distinct stages of processing + show how this effect may emerge from a simple synaptic learning rule!
tinyurl.com/2szh6w5c
We track moving stimuli via EEG, find evidence that motion is extrapolated across distinct stages of processing + show how this effect may emerge from a simple synaptic learning rule!
tinyurl.com/2szh6w5c
May 23, 2025 at 8:34 PM
New paper out in @plosbiology.org w/ Charlie, @phil-johnson.bsky.social, Ella, and Hinze 🎉
We track moving stimuli via EEG, find evidence that motion is extrapolated across distinct stages of processing + show how this effect may emerge from a simple synaptic learning rule!
tinyurl.com/2szh6w5c
We track moving stimuli via EEG, find evidence that motion is extrapolated across distinct stages of processing + show how this effect may emerge from a simple synaptic learning rule!
tinyurl.com/2szh6w5c
Reposted by Henry Beale
Info theory offers powerful measures for capturing complexity & interaction among elements of a complex system, like the brain! 🧠 Here's our new unified reference for key info-theoretic time series measures ft. 📊 visuals, ➗equations, & 💬descriptions:
arxiv.org/abs/2505.13080
arxiv.org/abs/2505.13080
May 20, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Info theory offers powerful measures for capturing complexity & interaction among elements of a complex system, like the brain! 🧠 Here's our new unified reference for key info-theoretic time series measures ft. 📊 visuals, ➗equations, & 💬descriptions:
arxiv.org/abs/2505.13080
arxiv.org/abs/2505.13080
Reposted by Henry Beale
Excited to share my PhD paper! In it, we use targeted 2-photon optogenetic stimulation to determine how V1 activity is read-out in a detection task. We found that network influence, not visual coding properties, predicted the impact of ensembles on behavior - contradicting our expectations (1/5).
May 15, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Excited to share my PhD paper! In it, we use targeted 2-photon optogenetic stimulation to determine how V1 activity is read-out in a detection task. We found that network influence, not visual coding properties, predicted the impact of ensembles on behavior - contradicting our expectations (1/5).
Reposted by Henry Beale
“Science is a smart, low cost investment. The costs of not investing in it are higher than the risk of doing so… talk to people about science.” - @kevinochsner.bsky.social makes his case to the field #sans2025
April 26, 2025 at 9:03 PM
“Science is a smart, low cost investment. The costs of not investing in it are higher than the risk of doing so… talk to people about science.” - @kevinochsner.bsky.social makes his case to the field #sans2025
Reposted by Henry Beale
Very happy to see our work finally in print!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
TLDR: Tilt illusion is not a bug, but a feature of a well-designed visual system that maximizes information capacity adaptively based on spatial context. (1/6)
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
TLDR: Tilt illusion is not a bug, but a feature of a well-designed visual system that maximizes information capacity adaptively based on spatial context. (1/6)
The tilt illusion arises from an efficient reallocation of neural coding resources at the contextual boundary | PNAS
The tilt illusion—a bias in the perceived orientation of a center stimulus induced
by an oriented surround—illustrates how context shapes visual pe...
www.pnas.org
April 24, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Very happy to see our work finally in print!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
TLDR: Tilt illusion is not a bug, but a feature of a well-designed visual system that maximizes information capacity adaptively based on spatial context. (1/6)
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
TLDR: Tilt illusion is not a bug, but a feature of a well-designed visual system that maximizes information capacity adaptively based on spatial context. (1/6)
Reposted by Henry Beale
🚨New paper alert! 🚨
Can your brain teach a neural network how to see?
We trained a convolutional neural net using EEG recordings to reveal how task goals shape visual processing in the human brain.
👇
[Link to paper: doi.org/10.1038/s415... 1/8
Can your brain teach a neural network how to see?
We trained a convolutional neural net using EEG recordings to reveal how task goals shape visual processing in the human brain.
👇
[Link to paper: doi.org/10.1038/s415... 1/8
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96307-w]
April 15, 2025 at 7:09 PM
🚨New paper alert! 🚨
Can your brain teach a neural network how to see?
We trained a convolutional neural net using EEG recordings to reveal how task goals shape visual processing in the human brain.
👇
[Link to paper: doi.org/10.1038/s415... 1/8
Can your brain teach a neural network how to see?
We trained a convolutional neural net using EEG recordings to reveal how task goals shape visual processing in the human brain.
👇
[Link to paper: doi.org/10.1038/s415... 1/8
Reposted by Henry Beale
Hot off the presses: big update to our work looking at how adaptive decoders influence neural representations.
We added heroic analyses to show in both experiments & models that the structure of what the brain learns is altered by adaptive decoders. Check it out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We added heroic analyses to show in both experiments & models that the structure of what the brain learns is altered by adaptive decoders. Check it out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
April 3, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Hot off the presses: big update to our work looking at how adaptive decoders influence neural representations.
We added heroic analyses to show in both experiments & models that the structure of what the brain learns is altered by adaptive decoders. Check it out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We added heroic analyses to show in both experiments & models that the structure of what the brain learns is altered by adaptive decoders. Check it out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Henry Beale
Our "I would have seen it if it were there" paper — a collaboration with @ranimo.bsky.social and @clarepress.bsky.social — is now out in Psych. Review.
There’s a lot in this paper, but here are what I see as the 3 main takeaways:
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
There’s a lot in this paper, but here are what I see as the 3 main takeaways:
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
March 21, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Our "I would have seen it if it were there" paper — a collaboration with @ranimo.bsky.social and @clarepress.bsky.social — is now out in Psych. Review.
There’s a lot in this paper, but here are what I see as the 3 main takeaways:
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
There’s a lot in this paper, but here are what I see as the 3 main takeaways:
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
Reposted by Henry Beale
Spent another couple of hours this week responding to reviewers and defending our research studies that have - Shock! Horror! - 10 to 15 participants per experiment.
In case anyone else was not listening during #stats classes:
Small N ≠ Low power
theerrorbar.com?e=37
In case anyone else was not listening during #stats classes:
Small N ≠ Low power
theerrorbar.com?e=37
YOUR SAMPLE IS SMALL
theerrorbar.com
March 11, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Spent another couple of hours this week responding to reviewers and defending our research studies that have - Shock! Horror! - 10 to 15 participants per experiment.
In case anyone else was not listening during #stats classes:
Small N ≠ Low power
theerrorbar.com?e=37
In case anyone else was not listening during #stats classes:
Small N ≠ Low power
theerrorbar.com?e=37
Reposted by Henry Beale
Our new preprint is now on bioRxiv!
'Visual adaptation stronger at horizontal than vertical meridian: Linking performance with V1 cortical surface area'
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
'Visual adaptation stronger at horizontal than vertical meridian: Linking performance with V1 cortical surface area'
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Visual adaptation stronger at horizontal than vertical meridian: Linking performance with V1 cortical surface area
Visual adaptation, a mechanism that conserves bioenergetic resources by reducing energy expenditure on repetitive stimuli, leads to decreased sensitivity for similar features (e.g., orientation and sp...
www.biorxiv.org
March 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Our new preprint is now on bioRxiv!
'Visual adaptation stronger at horizontal than vertical meridian: Linking performance with V1 cortical surface area'
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
'Visual adaptation stronger at horizontal than vertical meridian: Linking performance with V1 cortical surface area'
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...