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Express detection of visual objects by primate superior colliculus neurons
Amarender R Bogadhi1,2,3, Ziad M Hafed4,5
1Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller Str. 25, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|December 8, 2023
Summary
The primate superior colliculus (SC) rapidly detects real-life objects in peripheral vision, even within the first visual bursts. This finding explains how the SC supports quick orienting responses to novel stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Visual Processing
- Primate Cognition
Background:
- Primate superior colliculus (SC) neurons are involved in detecting threats and conspecifics.
- The precise mechanisms of SC neuron involvement in peripheral object detection remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the speed and mechanisms of superior colliculus (SC) neuron detection of real-life objects in peripheral vision.
- To determine if SC neurons can detect objects rapidly within initial visual responses.
Main Methods:
- Presented grayscale images of various object categories and matched controls to SC neurons' extrafoveal response fields.
- Recorded and analyzed the responses of different SC neuron types to these stimuli.
Main Results:
- All tested SC neuron types preferentially detected real-life objects in their very first stimulus-evoked visual bursts.
- Visually-responsive motor-related neurons also demonstrated robust early object detection.
- Spatial frequency information was crucial for early (within 100 ms) object detection, but not for later components.
Conclusions:
- The SC rapidly and reliably detects extrafoveal visual objects.
- SC saccade-related motor bursts can represent visual objects, supporting rapid orienting responses.
- This provides a mechanism for how the SC mediates quick reactions to peripheral visual stimuli.
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