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Cortes N, Ladret HJ, Abbas-Farishta R, Casanova C. The pulvinar as a hub of visual processing and cortical integration. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:120-134. [PMID: 38143202 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is a crucial component of the visual system and plays significant roles in sensory processing and cognitive integration. The pulvinar's extensive connectivity with cortical regions allows for bidirectional communication, contributing to the integration of sensory information across the visual hierarchy. Recent findings underscore the pulvinar's involvement in attentional modulation, feature binding, and predictive coding. In this review, we highlight recent advances in clarifying the pulvinar's circuitry and function. We discuss the contributions of the pulvinar to signal modulation across the global cortical network and place these findings within theoretical frameworks of cortical processing, particularly the global neuronal workspace (GNW) theory and predictive coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Cortes
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hugo J Ladret
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Reza Abbas-Farishta
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Casanova
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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2
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Casanova C, Chalupa LM. The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and the pulvinar as essential partners for visual cortical functions. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1258393. [PMID: 37712093 PMCID: PMC10498387 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1258393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In most neuroscience textbooks, the thalamus is presented as a structure that relays sensory signals from visual, auditory, somatosensory, and gustatory receptors to the cerebral cortex. But the function of the thalamic nuclei goes beyond the simple transfer of information. This is especially true for the second-order nuclei, but also applies to first-order nuclei. First order thalamic nuclei receive information from the periphery, like the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), which receives a direct input from the retina. In contrast, second order thalamic nuclei, like the pulvinar, receive minor or no input from the periphery, with the bulk of their input derived from cortical areas. The dLGN refines the information received from the retina by temporal decorrelation, thereby transmitting the most "relevant" signals to the visual cortex. The pulvinar is closely linked to virtually all visual cortical areas, and there is growing evidence that it is necessary for normal cortical processing and for aspects of visual cognition. In this article, we will discuss what we know and do not know about these structures and propose some thoughts based on the knowledge gained during the course of our careers. We hope that these thoughts will arouse curiosity about the visual thalamus and its important role, especially for the next generation of neuroscientists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leo M. Chalupa
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
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3
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Naeem N, Whitley JB, Slusarczyk AS, Bickford ME. Ultrastructure of ipsilateral and contralateral tectopulvinar projections in the mouse. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:1099-1111. [PMID: 34636423 PMCID: PMC8957504 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Visual pathways of the brain are organized into parallel channels that code different features of the external environment. In the current study, we investigated the anatomical organization of parallel pathways from the superior colliculus (SC) to the pulvinar nucleus in the mouse. Virus injections placed in the ipsilateral and contralateral SC to induce the expression of different fluorescent proteins define two pulvinar zones. The lateral pulvinar (Pl) receives ipsilateral SC input and the caudal medial pulvinar (Pcm) receives bilateral SC input. To examine the ultrastructure of these projections using transmission electron microscopy, we injected the SC with viruses to induce peroxidase expression within synaptic vesicles or mitochondria. We quantitatively compared the sizes of ipsilateral and contralateral tectopulvinar terminals and their postsynaptic dendrites, as well as the sizes of the overall population of synaptic terminals and their postsynaptic dendrites in the Pl and Pcm. Our ultrastructural analysis revealed that ipsilateral tectopulvinar terminals are significantly larger than contralateral tectopulvinar terminals. In particular, the ipsilateral tectopulvinar projection includes a subset of large terminals (≥ 1 μm2 ) that envelop dendritic protrusions of postsynaptic dendrites. We also found that both ipsilateral and contralateral tectopulvinar terminals are significantly larger than the overall population of synaptic terminals in both the Pl and Pcm. Thus, the ipsilateral tectopulvinar projection is structurally distinct from the bilateral tectopulvinar pathway, but both tectopulvinar channels may be considered the primary or "driving" input to the Pl and Pcm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazratan Naeem
- Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - James Bowman Whitley
- Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Arkadiusz S Slusarczyk
- Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Martha Elise Bickford
- Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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Milleret C, Bui Quoc E. Beyond Rehabilitation of Acuity, Ocular Alignment, and Binocularity in Infantile Strabismus. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:29. [PMID: 30072876 PMCID: PMC6058758 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infantile strabismus impairs the perception of all attributes of the visual scene. High spatial frequency components are no longer visible, leading to amblyopia. Binocularity is altered, leading to the loss of stereopsis. Spatial perception is impaired as well as detection of vertical orientation, the fastest movements, directions of movement, the highest contrasts and colors. Infantile strabismus also affects other vision-dependent processes such as control of postural stability. But presently, rehabilitative therapies for infantile strabismus by ophthalmologists, orthoptists and optometrists are restricted to preventing or curing amblyopia of the deviated eye, aligning the eyes and, whenever possible, preserving or restoring binocular vision during the critical period of development, i.e., before ~10 years of age. All the other impairments are thus ignored; whether they may recover after strabismus treatment even remains unknown. We argue here that medical and paramedical professionals may extend their present treatments of the perceptual losses associated with infantile strabismus. This hypothesis is based on findings from fundamental research on visual system organization of higher mammals in particular at the cortical level. In strabismic subjects (as in normal-seeing ones), information about all of the visual attributes converge, interact and are thus inter-dependent at multiple levels of encoding ranging from the single neuron to neuronal assemblies in visual cortex. Thus if the perception of one attribute is restored this may help to rehabilitate the perception of other attributes. Concomitantly, vision-dependent processes may also improve. This could occur spontaneously, but still should be assessed and validated. If not, medical and paramedical staff, in collaboration with neuroscientists, will have to break new ground in the field of therapies to help reorganize brain circuitry and promote more comprehensive functional recovery. Findings from fundamental research studies in both young and adult patients already support our hypothesis and are reviewed here. For example, presenting different contrasts to each eye of a strabismic patient during training sessions facilitates recovery of acuity in the amblyopic eye as well as of 3D perception. Recent data also demonstrate that visual recoveries in strabismic subjects improve postural stability. These findings form the basis for a roadmap for future research and clinical development to extend presently applied rehabilitative therapies for infantile strabismus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Milleret
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, College de France, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Bui Quoc
- Department of Ophthalmology, Robert Debré University Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris Paris, France
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5
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Abstract
Comparative studies have greatly contributed to our understanding of the organization and function of visual pathways of the brain, including that of humans. This comparative approach is a particularly useful tactic for studying the pulvinar nucleus, an enigmatic structure which comprises the largest territory of the human thalamus. This review focuses on the regions of the mouse pulvinar that receive input from the superior colliculus, and highlights similarities of the tectorecipient pulvinar identified across species. Open questions are discussed, as well as the potential contributions of the mouse model for endeavors to elucidate the function of the pulvinar nucleus.
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Bussières L, Casanova C. Neural Processing of Second-Order Motion in the Suprasylvian Cortex of the Cat. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:1347-1357. [PMID: 26733532 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal responses to second-order motion, that is, to spatiotemporal variations of texture or contrast, have been reported in several cortical areas of mammals, including the middle-temporal (MT) area in primates. In this study, we investigated whether second-order responses are present in the cat posteromedial lateral suprasylvian (PMLS) cortex, a possible homolog of the primate area MT. The stimuli used were luminance-based sine-wave gratings (first-order) and contrast-modulated carrier stimuli (second-order), which consisted of a high-spatial-frequency static grating (carrier) whose contrast was modulated by a low-spatial-frequency drifting grating (envelope). Results indicate that most PMLS neurons responded to second-order motion and for the vast majority of cells, first- and second-order preferred directions were conserved. However, responses to second-order stimuli were significantly reduced when compared to those evoked by first-order gratings. Circular variance was increased for second-order stimuli, indicating that PMLS direction selectivity was weaker for this type of stimulus. Finally, carrier orientation selectivity was either absent or very broad and had no influence on the envelope's orientation selectivity. In conclusion, our data show that PMLS neurons exhibit similar first- and second-order response profiles and that, akin primate area MT cells, they perform a form-cue invariant analysis of motion signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Bussières
- École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal.,Département de Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7
| | - C Casanova
- École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal
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7
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Origin of the thalamic projection to dorsal auditory cortex in hearing and deafness. Hear Res 2017; 343:108-117. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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8
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Piché M, Thomas S, Casanova C. Spatiotemporal profiles of receptive fields of neurons in the lateral posterior nucleus of the cat LP-pulvinar complex. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:2390-403. [PMID: 26289469 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00649.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The pulvinar is the largest extrageniculate thalamic visual nucleus in mammals. It establishes reciprocal connections with virtually all visual cortexes and likely plays a role in transthalamic cortico-cortical communication. In cats, the lateral posterior nucleus (LP) of the LP-pulvinar complex can be subdivided in two subregions, the lateral (LPl) and medial (LPm) parts, which receive a predominant input from the striate cortex and the superior colliculus, respectively. Here, we revisit the receptive field structure of LPl and LPm cells in anesthetized cats by determining their first-order spatiotemporal profiles through reverse correlation analysis following sparse noise stimulation. Our data reveal the existence of previously unidentified receptive field profiles in the LP nucleus both in space and time domains. While some cells responded to only one stimulus polarity, the majority of neurons had receptive fields comprised of bright and dark responsive subfields. For these neurons, dark subfields' size was larger than that of bright subfields. A variety of receptive field spatial organization types were identified, ranging from totally overlapped to segregated bright and dark subfields. In the time domain, a large spectrum of activity overlap was found, from cells with temporally coinciding subfield activity to neurons with distinct, time-dissociated subfield peak activity windows. We also found LP neurons with space-time inseparable receptive fields and neurons with multiple activity periods. Finally, a substantial degree of homology was found between LPl and LPm first-order receptive field spatiotemporal profiles, suggesting a high integration of cortical and subcortical inputs within the LP-pulvinar complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyse Piché
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sébastien Thomas
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Christian Casanova
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Fredes F, Vega-Zuniga T, Karten H, Mpodozis J. Bilateral and ipsilateral ascending tectopulvinar pathways in mammals: a study in the squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi). J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:1800-18. [PMID: 22120503 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian pulvinar complex is a collection of dorsal thalamic nuclei related to several visual and integrative processes. Previous studies have shown that the superficial layers of the superior colliculus project to multiple divisions of the pulvinar complex. Although most of these works agree about the existence of an ipsilateral tectopulvinar projection arising from the stratum griseum superficialis, some others report a bilateral projection originating from this same tectal layer. We investigated the organization of the tectopulvinar projections in the Californian ground squirrel using cholera toxin B (CTb). We confirmed previous studies showing that the caudal pulvinar of the squirrel receives a massive bilateral projection originating from a specific cell population located in the superficial collicular layers (SGS3, also called the "lower SGS" or "SGSL"). We found that this projection shares striking structural similarities with the tectorotundal pathway of birds and reptiles. Morphology of the collicular cells originating this projection closely corresponds to that of the bottlebrush tectal cells described previously for chickens and squirrels. In addition, we found that the rostral pulvinar receives an exclusively ipsilateral projection from a spatially separate population of collicular cells located at the base of the stratum opticum, deeper than the cells projecting to the caudal pulvinar. These results strongly support, at a structural level, the homology of the pathway originating in the SGS3 collicular cells upon the caudal pulvinar with the tectorotundal pathway of nonmammalian amniotes and contribute to clarifying the general organization of the tectopulvinar pathways in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Fredes
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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10
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Stoppel CM, Boehler CN, Strumpf H, Heinze HJ, Noesselt T, Hopf JM, Schoenfeld MA. Feature-based attention modulates direction-selective hemodynamic activity within human MT. Hum Brain Mapp 2011; 32:2183-92. [PMID: 21305663 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2010] [Accepted: 09/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Attending to the spatial location or to nonspatial features of a stimulus modulates neural activity in cortical areas that process its perceptual attributes. The feature-based attentional selection of the direction of a moving stimulus is associated with increased firing of individual neurons tuned to the direction of the movement in area V5/MT, while responses of neurons tuned to opposite directions are suppressed. However, it is not known how these multiplicatively scaled responses of individual neurons tuned to different motion-directions are integrated at the population level, in order to facilitate the processing of stimuli that match the perceptual goals. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) the present study revealed that attending to the movement direction of a dot field enhances the response in a number of areas including the human MT region (hMT) as a function of the coherence of the stimulus. Attending the opposite direction, however, lead to a suppressed response in hMT that was inversely correlated with stimulus-coherence. These findings demonstrate that the multiplicative scaling of single-neuron responses by feature-based attention results in an enhanced direction-selective population response within those cortical modules that processes the physical attributes of the attended stimuli. Our results provide strong support for the validity of the "feature similarity gain model" on the integrated population response as quantified by parametric fMRI in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Michael Stoppel
- Department of Neurology and Centre for Advanced Imaging, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
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11
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The connectivity of the human pulvinar: a diffusion tensor imaging tractography study. Int J Biomed Imaging 2010; 2008:789539. [PMID: 18274667 PMCID: PMC2233985 DOI: 10.1155/2008/789539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2007] [Accepted: 09/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies in nonhuman primates and cats
have shown that the pulvinar receives input from various cortical
and subcortical areas involved in vision. Although the
contribution of the pulvinar to human vision remains to be
established, anatomical tracer and electrophysiological animal
studies on cortico-pulvinar circuits suggest an important role of
this structure in visual spatial attention, visual integration,
and higher-order visual processing. Because methodological
constraints limit investigations of the human pulvinar's function,
its role could, up to now, only be inferred from animal studies.
In the present study, we used an innovative imaging technique,
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) tractography, to determine cortical
and subcortical connections of the human pulvinar. We were able to
reconstruct pulvinar fiber tracts and compare variability across
subjects in vivo. Here we demonstrate that the human pulvinar is
interconnected with subcortical structures (superior colliculus,
thalamus, and caudate nucleus) as well as with cortical regions
(primary visual areas (area 17), secondary visual areas (area 18,
19), visual inferotemporal areas (area 20), posterior parietal
association areas (area 7), frontal eye fields and prefrontal
areas). These results are consistent with the connectivity
reported in animal anatomical studies.
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Villeneuve M, Vanni M, Casanova C. Modular organization in area 21a of the cat revealed by optical imaging: comparison with the primary visual cortex. Neuroscience 2009; 164:1320-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2008] [Revised: 08/18/2009] [Accepted: 08/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Zabouri N, Ptito M, Casanova C. Complex motion sensitivity of neurons, in the visual part of the anterior ectosylvian cortex in cats. Neuroscience 2008; 152:106-18. [PMID: 18206317 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2007] [Revised: 11/16/2007] [Accepted: 12/01/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In cats, it is generally believed that the visual part of the anterior ectosylvian cortex (AEV) is involved in motion integration. It receives a substantial proportion of its afferents from cortical (e.g. lateral suprasylvian cortex) and subcortical (e.g. lateral posterior-pulvinar complex) areas known to participate in complex motion analysis. It has been established that a subset of AEV neurons can code the veridical motion of a moving plaid pattern (pattern-motion selectivity). In our study, we have further investigated the possibility that AEV neurons may play a role in higher-order motion processing by studying their responses to complex stimuli which necessitate higher order spatial and temporal integration. Experiments were performed in anesthetized adult cats. Classical receptive fields were stimulated with (1) complex random-dot kinematograms (RDKs), where the individual elements of the pattern do not provide coherent motion cues; (2) optic flow fields which require global spatial integration. We report that a large proportion of AEV neurons were selective to the direction and speed of RDKs. Close to two-thirds of the cells were selective to the direction of optic flow fields with about equal proportions being selective to contraction and expansion. The complex RDK and optic flow responsive units could not be systematically characterized based on their responses to plaid patterns; they were either pattern- or component-motion selective. These findings support the proposal that AEV is involved in higher-order motion processing. Our data suggest that the AEV may be more involved in the analysis of motion of visual patterns in relation to the animal's behavior rather than the analysis of the constituents of the patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Zabouri
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la vision, Ecole d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
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Ouellette BG, Minville K, Boire D, Ptito M, Casanova C. Complex motion selectivity in PMLS cortex following early lesions of primary visual cortex in the cat. Vis Neurosci 2007; 24:53-64. [PMID: 17430609 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523807070095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2006] [Accepted: 01/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In the cat, the analysis of visual motion cues has generally been attributed to the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian cortex (PMLS) (Toyama et al., 1985; Rauschecker et al., 1987; Rauschecker, 1988; Kim et al., 1997). The responses of neurons in this area are not critically dependent on inputs from the primary visual cortex (VC), as lesions of VC leave neuronal response properties in PMLS relatively unchanged (Spear & Baumann, 1979; Spear, 1988; Guido et al., 1990b). However, previous studies have used a limited range of visual stimuli. In this study, we assessed whether neurons in PMLS cortex remained direction-selective to complex motion stimuli following a lesion of VC, particularly to complex random dot kinematograms (RDKs). Unilateral aspiration of VC was performed on post-natal days 7–9. Single unit extracellular recordings were performed one year later in the ipsilateral PMLS cortex. As in previous studies, a reduction in the percentage of direction selective neurons was observed with drifting sinewave gratings. We report a previously unobserved phenomenon with sinewave gratings, in which there is a greater modulation of firing rate at the temporal frequency of the stimulus in animals with a lesion of VC, suggesting an increased segregation of ON and OFF sub-regions. A significant portion of neurons in PMLS cortex were direction selective to simple (16/18) and complex (11/16) RDKs. However, the strength of direction selectivity to both stimuli was reduced as compared to normals. The data suggest that complex motion processing is still present, albeit reduced, in PMLS cortex despite the removal of VC input. The complex RDK motion selectivity is consistent with both geniculo-cortical and extra-geniculate thalamo-cortical pathways in residual direction encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- B G Ouellette
- Ecole d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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15
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Wróbel A, Ghazaryan A, Bekisz M, Bogdan W, Kamiński J. Two streams of attention-dependent beta activity in the striate recipient zone of cat's lateral posterior-pulvinar complex. J Neurosci 2007; 27:2230-40. [PMID: 17329420 PMCID: PMC6673477 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4004-06.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2006] [Revised: 01/22/2007] [Accepted: 01/22/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Local field potentials from different visual cortical areas and subdivisions of the cat's lateral posterior-pulvinar complex of the thalamus (LP-P) were recorded during a behavioral task based on delayed spatial discrimination of visual or auditory stimuli. During visual but not auditory attentive tasks, we observed an increase of beta activity (12-25 Hz) as calculated from signals recorded from the caudal part of the lateral zone of the LP-P (LPl-c) as well as from cortical areas 17 and 18 and the complex located at the middle suprasylvian sulcus (MSS). This beta activity appeared only in the trials that ended with a successful response, proving its relationship to the mechanism of visual attention. In contrast, no enhanced beta activity was observed in the rostral part of the lateral zone of the LP-P and in the pulvinar proper. Two subregions of LPl-c (ventromedial and dorsolateral) were distinguished by visually related, attentional beta activity of low (12-18 Hz) and high (18-25 Hz) frequencies, respectively. At the same time, area 17 exhibited attentional activation in the whole beta range, and an increase of power in low-frequency beta was observed in the medial bank of MSS, whereas cortical area 18 and the lateral bank of the MSS were activated in the high beta range. Phase-correlation analysis revealed that two distinct corticothalamic systems were synchronized by the beta activity of different frequencies. One comprised of cortical area 17, ventromedial region of LPl-c, and medial MSS, the second involved area 18 and the dorsolateral LPl-c. Our observations suggest that LPl-c belongs to the wide corticothalamic attentional system, which is functionally segregated by distinct streams of beta activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Wróbel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
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16
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HUPPÉ-GOURGUES F, BICKFORD ME, BOIRE D, PTITO M, CASANOVA C. Distribution, morphology, and synaptic targets of corticothalamic terminals in the cat lateral posterior-pulvinar complex that originate from the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian cortex. J Comp Neurol 2006; 497:847-63. [PMID: 16802329 PMCID: PMC2561298 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The lateral posterior (LP) nucleus is a higher order thalamic nucleus that is believed to play a key role in the transmission of visual information between cortical areas. Two types of cortical terminals have been identified in higher order nuclei, large (type II) and smaller (type I), which have been proposed to drive and modulate, respectively, the response properties of thalamic cells (Sherman and Guillery [1998] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 95:7121-7126). The aim of this study was to assess and compare the relative contribution of driver and modulator inputs to the LP nucleus that originate from the posteromedial part of the lateral suprasylvian cortex (PMLS) and area 17. To achieve this goal, the anterograde tracers biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) or Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL) were injected into area 17 or PMLS. Results indicate that area 17 injections preferentially labelled large terminals, whereas PMLS injections preferentially labelled small terminals. A detailed analysis of PMLS terminal morphology revealed at least four categories of terminals: small type I terminals (57%), medium-sized to large singletons (30%), large terminals in arrangements of intermediate complexity (8%), and large terminals that form arrangements resembling rosettes (5%). Ultrastructural analysis and postembedding immunocytochemical staining for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) distinguished two types of labelled PMLS terminals: small profiles with round vesicles (RS profiles) that contacted mostly non-GABAergic dendrites outside of glomeruli and large profiles with round vesicles (RL profiles) that contacted non-GABAergic dendrites (55%) and GABAergic dendritic terminals (45%) in glomeruli. RL profiles likely include singleton, intermediate, and rosette terminals, although future studies are needed to establish definitively the relationship between light microscopic morphology and ultrastructural features. All terminals types appeared to be involved in reciprocal corticothalamocortical connections as a result of an intermingling of terminals labelled by anterograde transport and cells labelled by retrograde transport. In conclusion, our results indicate that the origin of the driver inputs reaching the LP nucleus is not restricted to the primary visual cortex and that extrastriate visual areas might also contribute to the basic organization of visual receptive fields of neurons in this higher order nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. HUPPÉ-GOURGUES
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
- Département de Physiologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
| | - M. E. BICKFORD
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40292
| | - D. BOIRE
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
| | - M. PTITO
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
| | - C. CASANOVA
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
- Correspondence to: Christian Casanova, Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7. E-mail:
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17
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Ouellette BG, Casanova C. Overlapping visual response latency distributions in visual cortices and LP-pulvinar complex of the cat. Exp Brain Res 2006; 175:332-41. [PMID: 16816944 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-006-0555-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2006] [Accepted: 05/09/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The visual system of the cat is considered to be organized in both a serial and parallel manner. Studies of visual onset latencies generally suggest that parallel processing occurs throughout the dorsal stream. These studies are at odds with the proposed hierarchies of visual areas based on termination patterns of cortico-cortical projections. In previous studies, a variety of stimuli have been used to compute latencies, and this is problematic as latencies are known to depend on stimulus parameters. This could explain the discrepancy between latency and neuroanatomical based studies. Therefore, the first aim of the present study was to determine whether latencies increased along the hierarchy of visual areas when the same stimuli are used. In addition, the effect of stimulus complexity was assessed. Visual onset latencies were calculated for area 17, PMLS, AMLS, and AEV neurons. Latencies were also computed from neurons in the lateral posterior (LP)-pulvinar complex given the importance of this extrageniculate complex in cortical intercommunication. Latency distributions from all regions overlapped substantially, and no significant difference was present, regardless of the type of stimulus used. The onset latencies in the LP-pulvinar complex were comparable to those seen in cortical areas. The data suggest that the initial processing of information in the visual system is parallel, despite the presence of a neuroanatomical hierarchy. Simultaneous response onsets among cortical areas and the LP-pulvinar suggest that the latter is more than a simple relay station for information headed to cortex. The data are consistent with proposals of the LP-pulvinar as a center for the integration and distribution of information from/to multiple cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian G Ouellette
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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18
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Villeneuve MY, Ptito M, Casanova C. Global motion integration in the postero-medial part of the lateral suprasylvian cortex in the cat. Exp Brain Res 2006; 172:485-97. [PMID: 16501961 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-006-0357-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2005] [Accepted: 01/01/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In cats, the postero-medial part of lateral suprasylvian cortex (PMLS) is generally considered a key area for motion processing. While behavioral studies have indeed supported the role of PMLS cortex in higher order motion integration (Cereb Cortex 6:814-822, 1996), there is no evidence that individual PMLS cells can perform such analysis (Vis Neurosci 5:463-468, 1990; J Neurophysiol 63:1529-1543, 1990). Given the fundamental importance of understanding the neural substrate subtending higher order motion processing, we investigated whether PMLS neurons can signal the direction of motion of complex random dot kinematograms (RDKs) wherein comprising elements do not provide any local coherent motion cues. Results indicated that most PMLS cells (82%) can integrate the displacement of individual elements into a global motion percept. Their large receptive fields allowed the integration of motion for elements separated by large spatial intervals (up to 4 degrees ). In most cases, the analysis of complex RDK motion necessitated the contribution of the area of the visual field beyond the classical receptive field. None of the complex RDK-sensitive cells were found to be pattern-motion selective when tested with plaid patterns. Our results provide the first evidence that receptive fields of PMLS neurons can perform global motion analysis and support the behavioral evidence that this area is implicated in complex motion processing (Cereb Cortex 6:814-822, 1996). It also further corroborates the findings that PMLS neurons cannot signal the true direction of a plaid pattern (Vis Neurosci 5:463-468, 1990; J Neurophysiol 63:1529-1543, 1990). Providing that these same neurons can signal the direction of complex RDKs, there may be distinct cortical mechanisms for processing different types of complex motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Y Villeneuve
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, Ecole d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7
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19
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Nguyen AP, Spetch ML, Crowder NA, Winship IR, Hurd PL, Wylie DRW. A dissociation of motion and spatial-pattern vision in the avian telencephalon: implications for the evolution of "visual streams". J Neurosci 2005; 24:4962-70. [PMID: 15163688 PMCID: PMC6729365 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0146-04.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ectostriatum is a large visual structure in the avian telencephalon. Part of the tectofugal pathway, the ectostriatum receives a large ascending thalamic input from the nucleus rotundus, the homolog of the mammalian pulvinar complex. We investigated the effects of bilateral lesions of the ectostriatum in pigeons on visual motion and spatial-pattern perception tasks. To test motion perception, we measured performance on a task requiring detection of coherently moving random dots embedded in dynamic noise. To test spatial-pattern perception, we measured performance on the detection of a square wave grating embedded in static noise. A double dissociation was revealed. Pigeons with lesions to the caudal ectostriatum showed a performance deficit on the motion task but not the grating task. In contrast, pigeons with lesions to the rostral ectostriatum showed a performance deficit on the grating task but not the motion task. Thus, in the avian telencephalon, there is a separation of visual motion and spatial-pattern perception as there is in the mammalian telencephalon. However, this separation of function is in the targets of the tectofugal pathway in pigeons rather than in the thalamofugal pathway as described in mammals. The implications of these findings with respect to the evolution of the visual system are discussed. Specifically, we suggest that the principle of parallel visual streams originated in the tectofugal pathway rather than the thalamofugal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela P Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
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20
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Boire D, Matteau I, Casanova C, Ptito M. Retinal projections to the lateral posterior-pulvinar complex in intact and early visual cortex lesioned cats. Exp Brain Res 2004; 159:185-96. [PMID: 15252699 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-004-1946-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2004] [Accepted: 04/18/2004] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In intact cats, it is generally considered that the lateral posterior-pulvinar complex (LP-pulvinar) does not receive direct retinal terminals, with the exception of the retino-recipient zone known as the geniculate wing. There is, however, some evidence that early lesions of the visual cortex can occasionally induce the formation of novel retinal projections to the LP nucleus. Given the importance of knowing the connectivity pattern of the LP-pulvinar complex in intact and lesioned animals, we used the B fragment of cholera toxin, a sensitive anterograde tracer, to reinvestigate the retinal projections to the LP-pulvinar in normal cats and in cats with early unilateral lesions of the visual cortex (areas 17 and 18). Immunohistochemical localization of the toxin was performed to show the distribution and morphology of retinofugal terminals. A direct bilateral but predominantly contralateral retinal projection reached the caudal portion of LPl and LPm in the form of patches located mainly along its dorsomedial surface and many scattered terminals. The distribution of retinal projections to LP-pulvinar in intact and operated cats did not differ. Contrary to what had been previously reported, we found no evidence for lesion-induced sprouting of retinal axons in these higher-order thalamic nuclei. Retinal input to the LP-pulvinar might modulate visual responses driven by primary visual cortex or superior colliculus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Boire
- Ecole d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succ Centre-Ville, H3C 3J7, Montréal, Canada.
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21
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Ouellette BG, Minville K, Faubert J, Casanova C. Simple and complex visual motion response properties in the anterior medial bank of the lateral suprasylvian cortex. Neuroscience 2004; 123:231-45. [PMID: 14667458 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2003.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The cortical regions surrounding the suprasylvian sulcus have previously been associated with motion processing. Of the six areas originally described by Palmer et al. [J Comp Neurol 177 (1978) 237], the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian (PMLS) cortex has attracted the greatest attention. Very little physiological information is available concerning other suprasylvian visual areas, and in particular, the anteromedial lateral suprasylvian cortex (AMLS). Based on its cortical and sub-cortical connectivity patterns, the AMLS cortex is a likely candidate for higher-order motion processing in cat visual cortex. We have investigated this possibility by studying the receptive field sensitivity of AMLS neurons to complex motion stimuli. Neurons in AMLS cortex exhibited large (mean of 354 degrees (2)) and complex-like receptive fields, and most of them (74%) were classified as direction selective on the basis of their responses to sinusoidal drifting gratings. Most importantly, direction selectivity was present for complex motion stimuli. A subset of the neurons sampled (eight of 38 cells; 21%) exhibited pattern-motion selectivity in response to moving plaid patterns. The capacity of AMLS neurons to signal higher-order stimuli was further supported by their selectivity to moving complex random-dot kinematograms. Finally, 45% of 20 neurons were direction selective to a radial optic flow stimulus. Overall, these results suggest that AMLS cortex is involved in higher-order analyses of visual motion. It is possible that the AMLS cortex represents a region between PMLS and the anterior ectosylvian visual area in a functional hierarchy of areas involved in motion integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- B G Ouellette
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3J7, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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22
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Abstract
The mismatch negativity (MMN) component is an event-related potential (ERP) that can be elicited by any change in the acoustic environment, and it is related to memory-based, automatic processing mechanisms, and attentional capture processes. This component is well defined in the auditory modality. However, there is still a great controversy about its existence in the visual modality. This paper reviews the studies that are relevant with regard to memory-based, automatic deviance detection ERPs in the visual system. The paper discusses the main strengths and limitations of those studies and suggests what directions should be taken for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Pazo-Alvarez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario Sur, S/N, 15782, Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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23
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Casanova C, Merabet L, Desautels A, Minville K. Higher-order motion processing in the pulvinar. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2002; 134:71-82. [PMID: 11702564 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(01)34006-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Thalamic nuclei have long been considered as passive relay stations for sensory signals en route to the cerebral cortex, where higher level processing occurs. In recent years, it has been proposed that thalamic nuclei may actively participate in the processing of specific information in conjunction with cortical areas. In support of this hypothesis, we recently discovered that neurons in the main extrageniculate visual nucleus, the pulvinar, exhibit higher-order visual properties that were, until now, only associated with higher-order cortical areas. Pulvinar neurons can indeed code the veridical direction of a moving plaid pattern, indicating that these cells can integrate ambiguous signals into a coherent percept. This finding as well as our demonstration that there are cortico-thalamo-cortical loops involved in complex motion analysis open promising avenues in unraveling the function of the pulvinar complex in normal vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Casanova
- Laboratoire des neurosciences de la vision, Ecole d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, PQ, H3C 3J7 Canada.
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