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Updated: Aug 12, 2025

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Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
Published on: August 1, 2018
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Primate superior colliculus is engaged in abstract higher-order cognition.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|January 30, 2023
Summary
The superior colliculus (SC), a midbrain structure, plays a crucial role in abstract visual categorization, a higher-order cognitive function previously linked to the cortex. This finding expands our understanding of the SC
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Primate Vision
Background:
- Categorization is a fundamental cognitive process.
- Cortical areas are known to be involved in visual categorization in primates.
- Subcortical regions may also contribute to abstract cognition.
Conclusions:
- The primate SC contributes to abstract, higher-order visual cognition.
- The SC's role extends beyond spatial orienting to non-spatial cognitive tasks.
- These findings challenge traditional views of the SC's function.
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