在人和其他灵长类动物中，视觉运动信息通常认为是在背侧通路脑区（如MT区）处理的。然而在其他视觉脑区（如V2区）也存在相当数量的对运动敏感的神经元。我们先前的研究发现这些神经元聚集在特定区域而形成功能柱结构（Lu et al. 2010 Neuron；Li et al. 2013 Neuron），并且参与运动边界的检测（Chen et al. 2014 Cerebral Cortex）。这些神经元是怎样编码运动信息的？和传统的背侧通路编码有何区别？这种编码又是怎样对认知行为产生贡献的？人们对这些基本问题还不清楚。本项目中我们拟从单细胞、局部网络、行为三个层面深入研究V2区对运动信息的编码特征及其功能意义。并通过和背侧通路编码相比较来全面了解视觉运动信息在大脑中的处理机制。

In humans and other primates, it is traditionally believed that visual motion is processed in the dorsal visual areas (e.g. area MT). However, considerable numbers of motion-sensitive neurons also exist in other visual areas (e.g. area V2). Our previous studies found that these neurons are clustered and form functional columns in these non-dorsal areas (Lu et al. 2010, Neuron; Li et al. 2013 Neuron), and involve in detection of motion boundaries (Chen et al. 2014, Cerebral Cortex). Several important questions remain: How motion information is coded in these neurons? Is this coding different from the classical motion coding in the dorsal areas? How they contribute to the visual perception? Here we propose to study these questions in area V2 at following three levels: cellular, local network and behavior. Results from these studies will enable us to uncover the coding strategy of V2 motion processing and its functional importance. Furthermore, by comparing coding strategies in the dorsal and non-dorsal areas, we are one step closer to drawing an overall picture of how motion is processed in the brain.