Interpreting temporal dynamics during sensory decision-making

Perceptual decisions are informed by the accumulation of sensory evidence over time, but the form of this fundamental temporal computation is not fully understood. Characterizations of the temporal integration of sensory stimuli in behavior and neural activity are usually conceived with separate stages for sensory encoding and downstream integration for accumulating the sensory evidence. Sensory and decision stages can each have their own temporal dynamics that affect the time course of perception and action. Here, we discuss recent work using temporal signatures of behavior in the context of traditional two-stage models. This discussion highlights shortcomings of two stage sensory/decision frameworks, points towards how modern techniques can provide more realistic characterizations of temporal integration, and in turn motivates a richer philosophical framework for building models of how sensory data might be interpreted by the brain to produce actions.