Superior colliculus modulates cortical coding of somatosensory information. 2020

Saba Gharaei, and Suraj Honnuraiah, and Ehsan Arabzadeh, and Greg J Stuart
Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. saba.gharaei@anu.edu.au.

The cortex modulates activity in superior colliculus via a direct projection. What is largely unknown is whether (and if so how) the superior colliculus modulates activity in the cortex. Here, we investigate this issue and show that optogenetic activation of superior colliculus changes the input-output relationship of neurons in somatosensory cortex, enhancing responses to low amplitude whisker deflections. While there is no direct pathway from superior colliculus to somatosensory cortex, we found that activation of superior colliculus drives spiking in the posterior medial (POm) nucleus of the thalamus via a powerful monosynaptic pathway. Furthermore, POm neurons receiving input from superior colliculus provide monosynaptic excitatory input to somatosensory cortex. Silencing POm abolished the capacity of superior colliculus to modulate cortical whisker responses. Our findings indicate that the superior colliculus, which plays a key role in attention, modulates sensory processing in somatosensory cortex via a powerful di-synaptic pathway through the thalamus.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009434 Neural Pathways Neural tracts connecting one part of the nervous system with another. Neural Interconnections,Interconnection, Neural,Interconnections, Neural,Neural Interconnection,Neural Pathway,Pathway, Neural,Pathways, Neural
D009474 Neurons The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D004567 Electrodes, Implanted Surgically placed electric conductors through which ELECTRIC STIMULATION is delivered to or electrical activity is recorded from a specific point inside the body. Implantable Electrodes,Implantable Stimulation Electrodes,Implanted Electrodes,Implanted Stimulation Electrodes,Electrode, Implantable,Electrode, Implantable Stimulation,Electrode, Implanted,Electrode, Implanted Stimulation,Electrodes, Implantable,Electrodes, Implantable Stimulation,Electrodes, Implanted Stimulation,Implantable Electrode,Implantable Stimulation Electrode,Implanted Electrode,Implanted Stimulation Electrode,Stimulation Electrode, Implantable,Stimulation Electrode, Implanted,Stimulation Electrodes, Implantable,Stimulation Electrodes, Implanted
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013003 Somatosensory Cortex Area of the parietal lobe concerned with receiving sensations such as movement, pain, pressure, position, temperature, touch, and vibration. It lies posterior to the central sulcus. Brodmann Area 1,Brodmann Area 2,Brodmann Area 3,Brodmann Areas 1, 2, 3,Brodmann Areas 1, 2, and 3,Brodmann Areas 3, 1, 2,Brodmann Areas 3, 1, and 2,Brodmann's Area 1,Brodmann's Area 2,Brodmann's Area 3,Brodmann's Areas 1, 2, and 3,Brodmann's Areas 3, 1, and 2,Parietal-Opercular Cortex,Primary Somesthetic Area,S1 Cortex,S2 Cortex,SII Cortex,Anterior Parietal Cortex,Gyrus Postcentralis,Post Central Gyrus,Postcentral Gyrus,Primary Somatic Sensory Area,Primary Somatosensory Area,Primary Somatosensory Areas,Primary Somatosensory Cortex,SI Cortex,Second Somatic Sensory Area,Secondary Sensory Cortex,Secondary Somatosensory Area,Secondary Somatosensory Cortex,Area 1, Brodmann,Area 1, Brodmann's,Area 2, Brodmann,Area 2, Brodmann's,Area 3, Brodmann,Area 3, Brodmann's,Area, Primary Somatosensory,Area, Primary Somesthetic,Area, Secondary Somatosensory,Areas, Primary Somatosensory,Brodmanns Area 1,Brodmanns Area 2,Brodmanns Area 3,Cortex, Anterior Parietal,Cortex, Parietal-Opercular,Cortex, Primary Somatosensory,Cortex, S1,Cortex, S2,Cortex, SI,Cortex, SII,Cortex, Secondary Sensory,Cortex, Secondary Somatosensory,Cortex, Somatosensory,Gyrus, Post Central,Gyrus, Postcentral,Parietal Cortex, Anterior,Parietal Opercular Cortex,Parietal-Opercular Cortices,Primary Somatosensory Cortices,Primary Somesthetic Areas,S1 Cortices,S2 Cortices,SII Cortices,Secondary Somatosensory Areas,Sensory Cortex, Secondary,Somatosensory Area, Primary,Somatosensory Area, Secondary,Somatosensory Areas, Primary,Somatosensory Cortex, Primary,Somatosensory Cortex, Secondary,Somesthetic Area, Primary,Somesthetic Areas, Primary
D013238 Stereotaxic Techniques Techniques used mostly during brain surgery which use a system of three-dimensional coordinates to locate the site to be operated on. Stereotactic Techniques,Stereotaxic Technics,Stereotactic Technique,Stereotaxic Technic,Stereotaxic Technique,Technic, Stereotaxic,Technics, Stereotaxic,Technique, Stereotactic,Technique, Stereotaxic,Techniques, Stereotactic,Techniques, Stereotaxic
D013477 Superior Colliculi The anterior pair of the quadrigeminal bodies which coordinate the general behavioral orienting responses to visual stimuli, such as whole-body turning, and reaching. Colliculus, Superior,Optic Lobe, Human,Optic Lobe, Mammalian,Optic Tectum,Anterior Colliculus,Superior Colliculus,Tectum, Optic,Colliculi, Superior,Colliculus, Anterior,Human Optic Lobe,Human Optic Lobes,Mammalian Optic Lobe,Mammalian Optic Lobes,Optic Lobes, Human,Optic Lobes, Mammalian,Optic Tectums,Tectums, Optic
D014738 Vibrissae Stiff hairs projecting from the face around the nose of most mammals, acting as touch receptors. Whiskers,Whisker
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus

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