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Attention deficits without cortical neuronal deficits

Abstract

The ability to process relevant stimuli selectively is a fundamental function of the primate visual system. The best-understood correlate of this function is the enhanced response of neurons in the visual cortex to attended stimuli1,2. However, recent results show that the superior colliculus (SC), a midbrain structure, also has a crucial role in visual attention3,4,5. It has been assumed that the SC acts through the same well-known mechanisms in the visual cortex3,5. Here we tested this hypothesis by transiently inactivating the SC during a motion-change-detection task and measuring responses in two visual cortical areas. We found that despite large deficits in visual attention, the enhanced responses of neurons in the visual cortex to attended stimuli were unchanged. These results show that the SC contributes to visual attention through mechanisms that are independent of the classic effects in the visual cortex, demonstrating that other processes must have key roles in visual attention.

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Figure 1: Task design and behavioural performance.
Figure 2: Sample neuronal activity before and during SC inactivation.
Figure 3: Population results before and during SC inactivation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank E. Boehle, N. Dill and A. Karnik for technical assistance, and R. Wurtz for discussions and reading of the manuscript. This work was supported by the F.M. Kirby Foundation and the National Eye Institute Intramural Research Program at the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors

Contributions

A.Z. and R.J.K. designed and conducted the experiments and wrote the manuscript. A.Z. analysed the data.

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Correspondence to Richard J. Krauzlis.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Zénon, A., Krauzlis, R. Attention deficits without cortical neuronal deficits. Nature 489, 434–437 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11497

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