Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

Modulation of visual responses by behavioral state in mouse visual cortex.

Cristopher M Niell¹, Michael P Stryker

¹W.M. Keck Foundation Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA.

|March 2, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Visual uncertainty and task demands shape active sensing strategies in mice.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Visual uncertainty and task demands shape active sensing strategies in mice.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same author

Acute requirement for the hippocampus in putatively conscious vision revealed by a mouse model of blindsight.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same author

The Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience: Studying how the brain interacts with the world.

Neuron·2026

Same author

Acute requirement for the hippocampus in putatively conscious vision revealed by a mouse model of blindsight.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same author

Visualizing and sonifying neurodata (ViSoND) for enhanced observation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

Fast-conducting mechanonociceptors uniquely engage reflexive and affective pain circuitry to drive protective responses.

Neuron·2026

Same journal

Sparse component analysis: A method that uncovers separable computations within neural population activity.

Neuron·2026

Same journal

Spatiomolecular mapping reveals anatomical organization of heterogeneous cell types in the human nucleus accumbens.

Neuron·2026

Same journal

TGF-β1-induced endothelial transcytosis drives blood-brain barrier leakage during aging.

Neuron·2026

Same journal

Image space opens up for visual neuroscience.

Neuron·2026

Same journal

Septal GLP-1 receptors control alcohol taking and seeking.

Neuron·2026

See all related articles

Awake mice running significantly increased visual cortex neuron responses, unlike in anesthetized states. This behavioral modulation highlights how locomotion impacts visual processing, independent of peripheral eye changes.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Processing
Animal Behavior

Background:

Conventional rodent visual processing studies use anesthesia, limiting behavioral influence examination.
Behavioral state is crucial for understanding neural responses, yet often unexamined in rodent vision research.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of locomotion on neuronal responses in the primary visual cortex of awake mice.
To differentiate between behavioral state-dependent and peripheral effects on visual processing.

Main Methods:

Recorded neuronal activity in the primary visual cortex of awake mice.
Mice ran on a spherical treadmill while visual stimuli were presented.
Compared neuronal responses during standing versus running states.

More Related Videos

Behavioral Assessment of Visual Function via Optomotor Response and Cognitive Function via Y-Maze in Diabetic Rats

Behavioral Assessment of Visual Function via Optomotor Response and Cognitive Function via Y-Maze in Diabetic Rats

Published on: October 23, 2020

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

Behavioral Assessment of Visual Function via Optomotor Response and Cognitive Function via Y-Maze in Diabetic Rats

Behavioral Assessment of Visual Function via Optomotor Response and Cognitive Function via Y-Maze in Diabetic Rats

Published on: October 23, 2020

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Main Results:

Most primary visual cortex neurons exhibited over a twofold increase in visually evoked firing rates during running compared to standing.
This enhanced response magnitude was not accompanied by changes in spontaneous firing or stimulus selectivity.
Response changes were specific to the visual cortex, as the lateral geniculate nucleus showed no locomotion-induced increase in response magnitude.

Conclusions:

Behavioral state, specifically locomotion, powerfully modulates visual processing in the primary visual cortex of awake mice.
The observed changes are intrinsic to the visual cortex and not due to peripheral visual system alterations.
Specific cell types, like narrow-spiking cells, show distinct modulation patterns, with some becoming active during running and suppressed by visual stimuli.