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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory processing
  • Motor control

Background:

  • Sensory cortices use corticofugal projections to modulate innate behaviors via brainstem nuclei.
  • The functional connectivity principles of these projections are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional connectivity of corticofugal projections from the visual cortex to the NOT-DTN.
  • To understand how these projections contribute to the optokinetic reflex (OKR) and its plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mouse models to study visual cortical neurons projecting to the optic-tract and dorsal-terminal nuclei (NOT-DTN).
  • Analyzed neuronal response properties, anatomical connectivity, and visual motion preferences.
  • Investigated the effects of continuous OKR stimulation and NOT-DTN neuron silencing on cortical activity and OKR plasticity.

Main Results:

  • Identified distinct visual cortical neurons projecting to NOT-DTN with specific response properties and connectivity.
  • These neurons are enriched in specific visual areas and prefer temporo-nasal visual motion, matching downstream NOT-DTN neuron bias.
  • Continuous OKR stimulation selectively enhanced these cortical neurons, promoting OKR plasticity.
  • Silencing NOT-DTN neurons impaired cortical modulation of OKR and its plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • Unveiled a direction-selective cortico-brainstem pathway crucial for modulating innate behaviors.
  • This pathway adaptively refines the optokinetic reflex (OKR) through specific visual motion processing.
  • Demonstrated the role of this pathway in oculomotor plasticity.