NEURAL MECHANISMS OF VISUAL PERCEPTION AND VISUALLY GUIDED ACTION

这个子项目是许多利用 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 目的：了解视觉感知和视觉引导行为的神经机制。 具体来说，我们正在研究视觉运动和形式处理的神经机制，包括它们之间的相互作用，使用行为，实验室驯化的成年恒河猴。 该研究的一个重要目的是深入了解视觉系统如何选择性地整合和分割多个视觉特征，以形成对物体的感知并引导眼动。 视觉运动和形状信息由分布在许多专门大脑区域的大量神经元表示和处理。这些神经元中的每一个都对视觉图像的某些特征敏感，并且对世界具有空间约束的“视图”。此外，由于许多视觉神经元广泛地调谐到刺激特征，因此任何给定的视觉特征都由大量神经元的放电来表示。 目前尚不清楚视觉特征的空间定位表示如何合成以形成感知;也不知道视觉刺激的属性如何从分布式神经活动解码以做出感知决策并引导眼球运动。 这些都是视觉研究的基本问题。 我们的研究旨在解决这些问题。 当多个视觉特征存在于视觉场景中时，视觉处理的一个特别具有挑战性的场景发生。 视觉系统需要有选择地将这些特征整合和分割成不同的物体或表面。 然后，这些对象或表面的表示用于指导适当的动作。 我们的具体研究目标是阐明这些过程背后的神经机制。 从我们的研究中获得的见解将有助于更好地了解正常大脑功能的基本原则，并有望更好地了解视觉障碍的原因和开发新的治疗方法。 这项新的研究使用启动资金，并依赖于WNRPC动物服务。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. OBJECTIVE: To understand the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception and visually guided action. Specifically, we are investigating neural mechanisms of visual motion and form processing including their interactions using behaving, laboratory-acclimatized adult rhesus monkeys. An important aim of the study is to gain insight into how the visual system selectively integrates and segments multiple visual features to form perception of objects and to guide eye movements. Visual motion and form information is represented and processed by a large number of neurons distributed across many specialized brain areas. Each of these neurons is sensitive to certain features of the visual image and has a spatially constrained "view" of the world. Moreover, because many visual neurons are broadly tuned to stimulus features, any given visual feature is represented by the discharge of a large population of neurons. It is not clear how spatially localized representations of visual features are synthesized to form perception; it is also unknown how attributes of visual stimuli are decoded from distributed neural activity to make perceptual decisions and to guide eye movements. These are fundamental questions of vision research. Our study is directed at addressing these questions. A particular challenging scenario of visual processing occurs when multiple visual features are present in the visual scene. Visual system needs to selectively integrate and segment these features into distinct objects or surfaces. Representations of these objects or surfaces are then used to guide appropriate action. Our specific research goal is to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying these processes. Insights learned from our studies will help to gain better understanding of fundamental principles of normal brain functions, with the promise of better understanding the causes and developing new treatment of visual disorders. This new research uses start up funding and relies on WNRPC Animal Services.