About this Research Topic
The primary analysis of visual information is first processed by retinal neurons. The ~44 retinal ganglion cell (RGC) subtypes encode various visual features and initiate parallel signaling streams to visual brain centers. While image-forming information streams, which provide a basis for visual perception, occur through the retina-dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN)-primary visual cortex (V1) axis, non-image-forming pathways reach many small nuclei (> 50 in mice) located in the midbrain, hypothalamus or thalamus. These latter brain centers contain heterogeneous neuron populations that are often organized in layers, receive type-specific RGC inputs and display retinotopic organization. As for the functions, these signaling routes perform diverse roles, such as the initiation of different behavioral patterns, modulation of biological systems, or relay visual information to multisensory brain areas. Current literature tells us that, for example, the superficial layers of the superior colliculus (SC), which is known to be another visual center, receive signals from retinal looming detectors, and SC local circuits integrate multisensory and motor signals to drive fear responses to escape from the predators. The subsets of direction-selective cells send their signals to the accessory optic systems and drive the reflex eye movements to stabilize our visual perception. Most intrinsically photosensitive cells project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus and regulate circadian rhythms. The individual brain areas utilize retinal signals to adjust the animal’s biological system for the living environment.
Moreover, the efficiency of retinal signaling to these visual centers can be greatly modified by inputs from brain areas whose activity reflects the internal state of the brain. This predictive modification of the retinal signaling could optimize the sensory inputs depending on the behavioral contexts. For example, an animal’s intention, emotion, or proprioception related to different behavioral contexts, such as hunger or fear, might regulate the retinal signals at the individual local brain areas to adjust the gain of visual inputs.
Although we still know very little about the functioning of these early visual circuits, the advances of new methodological approaches as well as the ample availability of genetically modified mouse strains greatly enhanced this line of research.
This Research Topic aims to collect some of the most recent information on the topic to provide readers with a broad insight that may outline organizational tendencies and/or contribute to our mechanical understanding of the underlying circuitry. We would like to focus on how diverse retinal signaling is and its computation.
Moreover, the efficiency of retinal signaling to these visual centers can be greatly modified by inputs from brain areas whose activity reflects the internal state of the brain. This predictive modification of the retinal signaling could optimize the sensory inputs depending on the behavioral contexts. For example, an animal’s intention, emotion, or proprioception related to different behavioral contexts, such as hunger or fear, might regulate the retinal signals at the individual local brain areas to adjust the gain of visual inputs.
Although we still know very little about the functioning of these early visual circuits, the advances of new methodological approaches as well as the ample availability of genetically modified mouse strains greatly enhanced this line of research.
This Research Topic aims to collect some of the most recent information on the topic to provide readers with a broad insight that may outline organizational tendencies and/or contribute to our mechanical understanding of the underlying circuitry. We would like to focus on how diverse retinal signaling is and its computation.
Keywords: retinal output, visual circuits
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