Jens Kremkow: A midbrain view on the visual world: the functional organization of the retinocollicular circuit
| When |
Oct 11, 2023
from 12:15 PM to 01:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Where | Bernstein Center, Hansastr. 9a, Lecture Hall. |
| Contact Name | Fiona Siegfried |
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Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC) is a midbrain structure that plays important roles in visually guided behaviors. However, the neural circuit mechanisms underlying visual processing in the SC remain poorly understood. The SC receives direct inputs from the majority retinal ganglion cells and contains one of the highest densities of inhibitory neurons in the brain. Yet, how excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons integrate retinal activity in vivo is still largely unknown.
In my talk I will present recent work that addresses how visual information is processed in the retinocollicular circuit in vivo. Specifically, we recently discovered that high-density electrodes (Neuropixels probes) simultaneously capture the activity of retinal ganglion cell axons and their postsynaptic target neurons in the superior colliculus, in vivo. Using this efficient method for mapping long-range monosynaptic connectivity we studied the functional organization of the retinocollicular circuit in a cell-type specific manner. I will present our results and discuss principles of visual processing in subcortical and cortical visual circuits.