Mouse visual cortex contains a region of enhanced spatial resolution

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mouse visual cortex contains a region of enhanced spatial resolution

AU - van Beest, Enny H

AU - Mukherjee, Sreedeep

AU - Kirchberger, Lisa

AU - Schnabel, Ulf H

AU - van der Togt, Chris

AU - Teeuwen, Rob R M

AU - Barsegyan, Areg

AU - Meyer, Arne F

AU - Poort, Jasper

AU - Roelfsema, Pieter R

AU - Self, Matthew W

PY - 2021/6/29

Y1 - 2021/6/29

N2 - The representation of space in mouse visual cortex was thought to be relatively uniform. Here we reveal, using population receptive-field (pRF) mapping techniques, that mouse visual cortex contains a region in which pRFs are considerably smaller. This region, the "focea," represents a location in space in front of, and slightly above, the mouse. Using two-photon imaging we show that the smaller pRFs are due to lower scatter of receptive-fields at the focea and an over-representation of binocular regions of space. We show that receptive-fields of single-neurons in areas LM and AL are smaller at the focea and that mice have improved visual resolution in this region of space. Furthermore, freely moving mice make compensatory eye-movements to hold this region in front of them. Our results indicate that mice have spatial biases in their visual processing, a finding that has important implications for the use of the mouse model of vision.

AB - The representation of space in mouse visual cortex was thought to be relatively uniform. Here we reveal, using population receptive-field (pRF) mapping techniques, that mouse visual cortex contains a region in which pRFs are considerably smaller. This region, the "focea," represents a location in space in front of, and slightly above, the mouse. Using two-photon imaging we show that the smaller pRFs are due to lower scatter of receptive-fields at the focea and an over-representation of binocular regions of space. We show that receptive-fields of single-neurons in areas LM and AL are smaller at the focea and that mice have improved visual resolution in this region of space. Furthermore, freely moving mice make compensatory eye-movements to hold this region in front of them. Our results indicate that mice have spatial biases in their visual processing, a finding that has important implications for the use of the mouse model of vision.

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-24311-5

DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-24311-5

M3 - Article

C2 - 34188047

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 12

SP - 4029

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

ER -