Receptive-field remapping and trans-saccadic space updating

Since its discovery, perisaccadic receptive-field (RF) remapping-the shift of RFs around the time of saccades-has inspired many studies exploring its origins, characteristics, and functional implications. We review recent developments leading to a circuit model that links spatiotemporal properties of remapping to functional requirements of trans-saccadic visual stability. The model uses center/surround connections to store a stimulus' retinal position as a population activity. This activity profile is shifted backward (against the saccade) as a wave by directional connections gated by the corollary discharge of the saccade command. When the accumulative backward shift of the population activity equals the saccade magnitude (equivalent to forward RF remapping of the same magnitude), the pre-saccadic retinal position is updated to the correct post-saccadic position. The model explains translational mislocalization for stimuli flashed around saccades as imperfect updating. The model is equivalent to the classic head-direction model, suggesting a general strategy of neural computation.