Vision is an active process. We do not see the world directly; rather, we construct a representation of it from sensory inputs in combination with internal, non-visual signals. In the case of spatial perception, our representation of the visual scene takes into account our own movements. This allows us to perceive the world as stationary despite the constant eye movements that produce new images on the retina. How is this perceptual stability achieved? Our central hypothesis is that a corollary discharge of the eye movement command updates, or remaps, an internal representation when the eyes move. We have previously shown that single neurons in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) and extrastriate visual cortex are activated by the remapped trace of a visual stimulus. These neurons fire in the single-step task, in which a saccade brings the receptive field onto a previously stimulated location. Remapping is also observed in the double-step task, in which the animal makes sequential saccades to two target locations. Our long-term goal is to discover the neural mechanisms that produce remapping. To achieve this we need to learn much more about the phenomenon and about the neural circuitry that supports it. The proposed experiments are designed to discover whether LIP neurons have equal access to visual information from the entire visual field; to determine whether remapping varies with hemifield or distance; to discover the source of remapped visual signals; and to determine the source of the corollary discharge signals used in remapping.
The aim of the proposed work is to elucidate the neural circuitry that contributes to active vision.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY012032-09
Application #
7269870
Study Section
Central Visual Processing Study Section (CVP)
Program Officer
Oberdorfer, Michael
Project Start
1998-05-01
Project End
2009-08-31
Budget Start
2007-09-01
Budget End
2008-08-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$343,135
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
004514360
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213
Hall, Nathan; Colby, Carol (2014) S-cone visual stimuli activate superior colliculus neurons in old world monkeys: implications for understanding blindsight. J Cogn Neurosci 26:1234-56
Subramanian, Janani; Colby, Carol L (2014) Shape selectivity and remapping in dorsal stream visual area LIP. J Neurophysiol 111:613-27
Hall, Nathan; Colby, Carol (2013) Psychophysical definition of S-cone stimuli in the macaque. J Vis 13:
Dunn, Catherine A; Hall, Nathan J; Colby, Carol L (2010) Spatial updating in monkey superior colliculus in the absence of the forebrain commissures: dissociation between superficial and intermediate layers. J Neurophysiol 104:1267-85
Dunn, Catherine A; Colby, Carol L (2010) Representation of the ipsilateral visual field by neurons in the macaque lateral intraparietal cortex depends on the forebrain commissures. J Neurophysiol 104:2624-33
Berman, Rebecca; Colby, Carol (2009) Attention and active vision. Vision Res 49:1233-48
Berman, Rebecca A; Heiser, Laura M; Dunn, Catherine A et al. (2007) Dynamic circuitry for updating spatial representations. III. From neurons to behavior. J Neurophysiol 98:105-21
Merriam, Elisha P; Genovese, Christopher R; Colby, Carol L (2007) Remapping in human visual cortex. J Neurophysiol 97:1738-55
Heiser, Laura M; Colby, Carol L (2006) Spatial updating in area LIP is independent of saccade direction. J Neurophysiol 95:2751-67
Heiser, Laura M; Berman, Rebecca A; Saunders, Richard C et al. (2005) Dynamic circuitry for updating spatial representations. II. Physiological evidence for interhemispheric transfer in area LIP of the split-brain macaque. J Neurophysiol 94:3249-58

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