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1992 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Neural Mechanisms of Visual Discrimination

Research Project

Project/Area Number 03454125
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Research Field Neurophysiology and muscle physiology
Research InstitutionUniversity of Tokyo

Principal Investigator

SASAKI Shigeto  Dept. Neurophysiol. Inst. Brain Res., Faculty of Med. Univ. of Tokyo, Associate Professor, 医学部(医), 助教授 (50110490)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) ISA Tadashi  Dept. Neurophysiol., Inst. Brain Res., Faculty of Med. Univ. of Tokyo, Assistant, 医学部(医), 助手 (20212805)
Project Period (FY) 1991 – 1992
KeywordsVision / Discrimination / Orienting / Head / Visual Cortex / Suprasylvian sulcus / Frontal eye field
Research Abstract

When objects appear in the visual field, animals orient to, discriminate between them and redirect the head to the object of most interest. The cortical pathways involving in visual discrimination were studied by analyzing the deficits following lesions of various cortical areas in trained cats to perform the following visual discrimination task. Cats stand watching a horizontal window of the front wall through which two plastic models of orange and grape were presented, and were required to direct the head to and keep fixating the correct object (orange) after discrimination.
We studied which of the two visual systems, geniculate and extrageniculate systems, contribute chiefly in this visual discrimination. Following bilateral ablation of areas 17-18, visual discrimination was little affected. In contrast, after selective unilateral ablation of the lateral suprasylvian visual area (PLLS) among suprasylvian visual areas, cats became unable to discriminate objects in the visual field of … More the lesioned hemisphere, but they compensated deficits by using the visual hemifield of the intact brain.
We have previously shown that the superior colliculus (SC) is the brain stem center of head orienting. We studied the cortical areas transmitting commands of head orienting to SC. Following unilateral ablation of the frontal eye fields (FEF), among cortical areas projecting to the SC, caused transientincrease in latencies in orienting directing contralateral to the lesion, but otherwise orienting was normal. However, cats could not discriminate objects in the visual field of the lesioned brain, but become able to compensate by using the brain of the intact side. This suggested that FEF acts as the cortical output after discrimination and sends commands to SC for execution of orienting.
We developed techniques to record neural activities from multiple areas simultaneously during visual discrimination. We are now analyzing unit activities in relation to various processes in visual discrimination. Less

  • Research Products

    (12 results)

All Other

All Publications (12 results)

  • [Publications] Isa t: "Organization of the cortico-reticular projections in cat." Neuroscience Research,. suppl.16. S117 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Sasaki S: "Reticulospinal control of head movements in the cat." The Head-Neck Sensory Motor System(Berthoz A et al.eds). 311-317 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T: "Control of vertical head movement via Forel's field H." The Head-Neck Sensory Motor System(eds Berthoz A et al). 345-350 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T: "Descending projections of Forel's field H neurones to the brain stem and the upper cervical spinal cord in the cat." Experimental Brain Res.88. 563-579 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T: "Mono-and disynaptic pathways from Forel's field H to dorsal neck motoneurones in the cat." Experimental Brain Res.88. 580-593 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T: "Control of head movement in the cat." Vestivular and Brain Stem control of Eye,Head and Body Mvements(eds Shimazu H and Shinoda Y). 275-284 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T, Naito K & Sasaki S: "Organization of the cortico-reticular projections in the cat." Neurosci. Res., Suppl. 16. S117 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Sasaki S: "Reticulospinal control of head movements in the cat." The Head-Neck Sensory Motor System (Berthoz A et al. eds). 311-317 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T, Itouji T & Sasaki S: "Control of vertical head movement via Forel's field H" The Head-Neck Sensory Motor System (eds Berthoz A et al.). 345-350 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T & Sasaki S: "Descending projections of Forel's field H neurones to the brain stem and the upper cervical spinal cord in the cat." Experimental Brain Res.88. 563-579 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T, Sasaki S: "Mono- and disynaptic pathways from Forel's field H to dorsal neck motoneurones in the cat." Experimental Brain Res.88. 580-593 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Isa T, Itouji T & Sasaki S: "Control of head movement in the cat: Two separate pathways from the superior colliculus to neck motoneurones and their roles in orienting movements." Vestibular and Brain Stem Control of Eye, Head and Body Movements (eds Shimazu H and Shinoda Y). (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 1994-03-24  

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