.) The pulvinar is the largest nucleus in the thalamus. It is closely interconnected with many areas of visual cortex, with the temporal and parietal lobes, and with the superior colliculus. The pulvinar may play a crucial role in recovery of vision following blindness of central origin, and it has been implicated in the effects of stroke in man. It is thought to play an important role in the central processing of visual information and in the integration of eye movements with visual perception. The nature of that role is poorly understood. This research is part of a long-term project to research is expected to clarify both anatomical and functional relationships between subdivisions of visual cortex and two subdivisions of the pulvinar, and the functional significance of the tectopulvinar pathway. One goal is to determine the pattern of anatomical connections between pulvinar and cortex using axonal transport techniques. A second is to find out how information about relative motion is encoded in the pulvinar.
A third aim examines the possibility that information about relative motion reaches the pulvinar via the tectopulvinar projection. We will also test the possibility that the pulvinar relays an eye movement signal from colliculus to cortex for use in visual processing. These experiments will be done using microelectrode recording techniques. A fifth aim is to test the possibility that the pulvinar plays a crucial role in the perceptual integration of form and motion cues.
