We have continued our study of visual motion processing in the cerebral cortex. Our investigations concentrated on two areas of cortex that are largely devoted to motion processing, the middle temporal area (MT) and the medical superior temporal area (MST). In area MST we investigated the response of cells to motion of the visual background as the monkey made a pursuit eye movement. We could identify two types of cells. One type responded vigorously to large field stimulation and this response frequently was synergistic with the pursuit response. Another group of cells respond to small moving spots and are largely insensitive to motion of the background. In area MT, we have investigated changes in the receptive field size of cells adjacent to a region damaged by a neurotoxin that impairs the monkey's ability to generate a pursuit eye movement. We found that the receptive fields did not expand selectively to cover the area of the visual field previously covered by the cells damaged by the neurotoxin. Many cells did, however, show an expansion of their field size in all directions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01EY000109-08
Application #
3941631
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
U.S. National Eye Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code
Berman, Rebecca A; Joiner, Wilsaan M; Cavanaugh, James et al. (2009) Modulation of presaccadic activity in the frontal eye field by the superior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 101:2934-42
Wurtz, Robert H (2008) Neuronal mechanisms of visual stability. Vision Res 48:2070-89
McAlonan, Kerry; Cavanaugh, James; Wurtz, Robert H (2008) Guarding the gateway to cortex with attention in visual thalamus. Nature 456:391-4
Sommer, Marc A; Wurtz, Robert H (2008) Brain circuits for the internal monitoring of movements. Annu Rev Neurosci 31:317-38
Sommer, Marc A; Wurtz, Robert H (2008) Visual perception and corollary discharge. Perception 37:408-18
Sommer, Marc A; Wurtz, Robert H (2006) Influence of the thalamus on spatial visual processing in frontal cortex. Nature 444:374-7
Nakahara, Hiroyuki; Morita, Kenji; Wurtz, Robert H et al. (2006) Saccade-related spread of activity across superior colliculus may arise from asymmetry of internal connections. J Neurophysiol 96:765-74
Cavanaugh, James; Alvarez, Bryan D; Wurtz, Robert H (2006) Enhanced performance with brain stimulation: attentional shift or visual cue? J Neurosci 26:11347-58
McAlonan, Kerry; Cavanaugh, James; Wurtz, Robert H (2006) Attentional modulation of thalamic reticular neurons. J Neurosci 26:4444-50
Hanes, Doug P; Smith, Mitchell K; Optican, Lance M et al. (2005) Recovery of saccadic dysmetria following localized lesions in monkey superior colliculus. Exp Brain Res 160:312-25

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