Natural visual behavior and active sensing in the mouse

Current Opinion in Neurobiology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 86, P. 102882 - 102882

Published: May 4, 2024

In the natural world, animals use vision for a wide variety of behaviors not reflected in most laboratory paradigms. Although mice have low-acuity vision, they their many behaviors, including predator avoidance, prey capture, and navigation. They also perform active sensing, moving head eyes to achieve behavioral goals acquire visual information. These aspects result inputs corresponding outputs that are outside range conventional studies but essential function. Here, we review recent tapped into behavior sensing reveal computational logic neural circuits vision.

Language: Английский

---

DomeVR: Immersive virtual reality for primates and rodents

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 20(1), P. e0308848 - e0308848

Published: Jan. 16, 2025

Immersive virtual reality (VR) environments are a powerful tool to explore cognitive processes ranging from memory and navigation visual processing decision making-and do so in naturalistic yet controlled setting. As such, they have been employed across different species, by diverse range of research groups. Unfortunately, designing implementing behavioral tasks such often proves complicated. To tackle this challenge, we created DomeVR, an immersive VR environment built using Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). UE4 is game engine supporting photo-realistic graphics containing scripting language designed for use non-programmers. result, easily drag-and-drop elements. DomeVR aims make these features accessible neuroscience experiments. This includes logging synchronization system solve timing uncertainties inherent UE4; interactive GUI scientists observe subjects during experiments adjust task parameters on the fly, dome projection full immersion non-human subjects. These key modular can be added individually into other projects. Finally, present proof-of-principle data highlighting functionality three species: human, macaque mouse.

Language: Английский

---

Visual pursuit: Coordinated eye and head movements guide navigation over fixation

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 35(5), P. R187 - R189

Published: March 1, 2025

Language: Английский

---

Rapid prey capture learning drives a slow resetting of network activity in rodent binocular visual cortex

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 11, 2025

Neocortical neurons possess stable firing rate set points to which they faithfully return when perturbed. These are established early and through adulthood, suggesting immutable. Here we challenge this idea using an ethological vision-dependent prey capture learning paradigm in juvenile rats. This required visual cortex (V1), enhanced tuning of V1 specific behavioral epochs. Chronic recordings revealed a slow, state-dependent increase that began after was complete persisted for days. upward plasticity gradual, gated by wake states, L2/3 driven TNFα-dependent excitatory synapses onto pyramidal - all features homeostatic within V1. Finally, TNFα inhibition reduced retention hunting skills. Thus, naturalistic animals co-opts forms reset setpoints V1, process facilitates skill consolidation.

Language: Английский

---

Neural dynamics in superior colliculus of freely moving mice

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 19, 2025

Abstract Vision is an active process that depends on head and eye movements to explore the visual environment. Superior colliculus (SC) known for its role in generating these movements, as well processing information, but has not been studied extensively during free movement complex environments. To determine impact of vision, we recorded neural activity across depth SC while simultaneously recording position. We find superficial (sSC) neurons respond input following gaze-shifting saccadic whereas deep (dSC) themselves, demonstrated by their sustained response darkness. Additionally, motor responses dSC are more correlated rather than movements. Furthermore, compared sSC gaze shift primary cortex (V1), finding similarities key types, although temporal sequences shifts differ between regions. Our results demonstrate distinct differences V1 highlighting various roles plays vision. Highlights depths superior freely moving mice measuring Neurons mouse strongly shifts, layers. primarily a movement. generally represent movement, independent input. While share with there unique profiles suggest

Language: Английский

---

Retinal Encoding of Natural Scenes

Annual Review of Vision Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 8(1), P. 171 - 193

Published: June 9, 2022

An ultimate goal in retina science is to understand how the neural circuit of processes natural visual scenes. Yet most studies laboratories have long been performed with simple, artificial stimuli such as full-field illumination, spots light, or gratings. The underlying assumption that features thus identified carry over more complex scenario As application corresponding settings becoming commonplace experimental investigations, this being put test and opportunities arise discover processing are triggered by specific aspects Here, we review used probe, refine, complement knowledge accumulated under simplified stimuli, discuss challenges along way toward a comprehensive understanding encoding

Language: Английский

---

Asymmetric retinal direction tuning predicts optokinetic eye movements across stimulus conditions

eLife, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: March 17, 2023

Across species, the optokinetic reflex (OKR) stabilizes vision during self-motion. OKR occurs when ON direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (oDSGCs) detect slow, global image motion on retina. How oDSGC activity is integrated centrally to generate behavior remains unknown. Here, we discover mechanisms that contribute encoding in vertically tuned oDSGCs and leverage these findings empirically define signal transformation between output vertical behavior. We demonstrate contrast-sensitive asymmetric for types prefer opposite directions. These phenomena arise from interplay spike threshold nonlinearities differences synaptic input weights, including shifts balance of excitation inhibition. In behaving mice, neurophysiological observations, along with a central subtraction outputs, accurately predict trajectories across stimulus conditions. Thus, tuning competing sensory channels can critically shape

Language: Английский

---

Behind mouse eyes: The function and control of eye movements in mice

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 161, P. 105671 - 105671

Published: April 9, 2024

The mouse visual system has become the most popular model to study cellular and circuit mechanisms of sensory processing. However, importance eye movements only started be appreciated recently. Eye provide a basis for predictive sensing deliver insights into various brain functions dysfunctions. A plethora knowledge on central control their role in perception behaviour arose from work primates. an overview mice comparison primates is missing. Here, we review movement types described date compare them those observed We discuss neuronal generation control. Furthermore, mounting literature during head-fixed freely moving behaviours. Finally, highlight gaps our understanding suggest future directions research.

Language: Английский

---

Velocity as an overlooked driver in the echolocation behavior of aerial hawking vespertilionid bats

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

---

Task-specific regional circuit adaptations in distinct mouse retinal ganglion cells

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 11(17)

Published: April 23, 2025

In the mouse retina, sustained ON alpha (sONα) retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) have different dendritic and receptive field sizes along nasotemporal axis, with temporal sONα RGCs likely playing a role in visually guided hunting. Thus, we hypothesized that this cell type also exhibits regional adaptations signal processing these are advantageous for prey capture. Here, measured signals from individual at locations. We both postsynaptic Ca 2+ dendrites presynaptic glutamate bipolar (BCs). found exhibit, addition to sustained-ON only weak surrounds, strong surround suppression, which were not present nasal RGCs. This difference was inputs BCs. Last, using population models an encoder-decoder paradigm, showed might be beneficial detecting crickets hunting behavior.

Language: Английский

---