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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Locomotion controls spatial integration in mouse visual cortex.

Aslı Ayaz¹, Aman B Saleem, Marieke L Schölvinck

¹UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK. ayaz@hifo.uzh.ch

Current Biology : CB

|May 14, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Locomotion significantly alters spatial integration in the primary visual cortex (V1). This movement reduces surround suppression, enabling V1 neurons to process visual information from larger areas.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Processing

Background:

Sensory cortex responses are modulated by factors beyond direct stimulation.
Locomotion is known to increase neural responses in the primary visual cortex (V1).

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how locomotion affects spatial integration in V1.
To understand the mechanisms underlying locomotion-induced changes in V1.
To determine if locomotion influences surround suppression in V1.

Main Methods:

Recorded from V1 neurons in head-fixed mice on a spherical treadmill.
Characterized spatial integration and surround suppression.
Utilized a divisive normalization model to interpret neural responses.

Main Results:

Most V1 neurons exhibited surround suppression, which increased with stimulus contrast.
Locomotion markedly reduced surround suppression, expanding the spatial integration range of V1 neurons.
Locomotion increased spontaneous activity and weakened suppressive signals relative to driving signals in the normalization model.

Conclusions:

Locomotion profoundly influences spatial integration in V1, a fundamental aspect of visual processing.
The observed changes in spatial integration are mediated by reduced surround suppression.
Mechanisms controlling surround suppression may also regulate the impact of locomotion on visual processing.