# Motion Processing in the Superior Colliculus

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2021 · $363,008

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 How visual information is processed and transformed in the nervous system is a fundamental question
in vision research. Given its clear importance in visually-guided behaviors and the available genetic tools, the
mouse superior colliculus (SC) holds great promise for understanding visual processing and its neural
mechanisms. The SC is a midbrain structure important for multimodal integration and sensorimotor
transformation. Its superficial layers are purely visual and receive direct inputs from the retina. In this proposal,
the investigators will study motion processing in a visual layer of the SC, the SGS, with a particular focus on its
modulation by stimulus context, locomotion state, and self-generated visual flow. First, in vivo whole cell
recording will be performed to determine the synaptic inputs that individual SGS neurons receive from the region
surrounding their receptive fields. These experiments will reveal the local connectivity of excitatory and inhibitory
neurons that mediates the bidirectional encoding of motion contrast between the visual stimulus and its context.
Second, two-photon calcium imaging will be performed in awake mice to determine whether and how locomotion
affects visual responses in the SGS. These experiments will be done across the depth of the SGS and in a cell-
type-specific manner. Finally, the investigators will study whether and how self-generated visual flow affects the
responses of SGS neurons. Two-photon imaging and physiological recording will be performed in head-
restrained mice running in a virtual reality system. These experiments will be conducted across different
retinotopic locations in the SGS, in order to reveal whether a region-specific organization exists in the SGS in
the context of encoding self-generated motion. Together, these experiments will generate important data needed
for a complete understanding of visual processing in the brain. Because normal visual processing is
compromised in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as dyslexia, schizophrenia, and autism
spectrum disorders, these studies will provide novel insights for the understanding and treatment of these
disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10247819
- **Project number:** 5R01EY026286-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Jianhua Cang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $363,008
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2015-12-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10247819

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10247819, Motion Processing in the Superior Colliculus (5R01EY026286-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10247819. Licensed CC0.

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