DIRCALLOSDVPT

Role and development of the corpus callosum for the interhemispheric transfer of visual motion

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Our perception of the world is mainly dynamic. In order to interact adequately with the environment, our brain must analyze rapidly and efficiently various kind of motion present in the visual world, including complex motions such as the optic flow induced by our own movements. The primary visual cortex, through its direction-selective cells, is the first cortical step toward such integration. Each hemifield is analyzed by one hemisphere, and the corpus callosum is thought to link these two representations into a single dynamic scene. Using cat as a model animal and optical imaging as a technique, the goal of this project is to elucidate the role of the corpus callosum in the interhemispheric transfer of visual motion. Recent experiments have however challenged a limited view of the primary visual cortex for the processing of motion: the primary visual cortex was recently implicated in the processing of illusionary motion, optic flow induced by self-motion, composition of plaids. We plan to perform series of experiments on cats of various ages, from eye-opening to adult cats, with the use of different stimulation paradigms. All together, these experiments will provide new knowledge about how the corpus callosum can provide a substrate for the interhemispheric transfer of different types of visual motion, and how this involvment develops with age.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

To interact with our surroundings, our brain has to quickly and efficiently analyse movement. This includes intricate motion brought about by our own movements.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Recent research has challenged the long-standing but limited view of the role that the primary visual cortex plays in how we process and perceive motion. The corpus callosum is now thought to link hemispherical representations into one dynamic scene. That is, perceived direction is expected to be continuously coded through the two hemispheres.

The DIRCallosDVPT project seeks to discover how the corpus callosum can provide a substrate for this inter-hemispheric transfer of different types of visual motion. The project team is also interested in how this develops with age. Researchers use a cat model and optical imaging for their experiments. Cats of various ages are used and subjected to different stimulation paradigms.

Experimental data at this stage suggest that the corpus callosum may play a role in processing self-motion by adjusting the perceived direction in the other hemisphere. Project partners will confirm these results by using optical imaging together with anatomical tracer injection and, in this way, investigate functional selectivity of inter-hemispheric connections.

DirCallosDVPT expects that the results of this project will offer new insights on how complex movements are processed at the level of the primary visual cortex.