They might thus play a role in modulating spinal activity in advance of any control exerted via the cerebellar loop. “
“Plaid stimuli are often used to investigate the mechanisms involved in the integration and segregation of motion information. Considering the perceptual importance of such mechanisms, only a very limited number of visual brain areas have been found to be specifically involved in motion integration. These are the human (h)MT+ complex, area V3 and the pulvinar. The hMT+ complex can be functionally subdivided Selleck Vemurafenib into two separate areas, middle temporal area (MT) and medial superior temporal area (MST); however, it is currently unclear

whether these distinct sub-regions have different responses to plaid stimuli. To address this issue we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to quantify the relative response of MT and MST Erlotinib to component and pattern

motion. Participants viewed plaid stimuli that were constrained to result in the perception of either component motion (segregation of motion information) or pattern motion (integration of motion information). MT/MST segregation was achieved using a moving dot stimulus that allowed stimulation of each visual hemifield either in unison or separately. We found pattern motion selective responses in both MT and MST. Consistent with previous reports, activity indicative of pattern motion selectivity was also found in the pulvinar as well as in other extrastriate areas. These results

demonstrate that MT, MST and the pulvinar are involved Calpain in the complex motion integration mechanisms that are triggered by plaid stimuli. This reinforces the concept that integrative computations take place in a distributed neuronal circuit both in cortical and sub-cortical networks. “
“Magnetic compass orientation in a night-migratory songbird requires that Cluster N, a cluster of forebrain regions, is functional. Cluster N, which receives input from the eyes via the thalamofugal pathway, shows high neuronal activity in night-migrants performing magnetic compass-guided behaviour at night, whereas no activation is observed during the day, and covering up the birds’ eyes strongly reduces neuronal activation. These findings suggest that Cluster N processes light-dependent magnetic compass information in night-migrating songbirds. The aim of this study was to test if Cluster N is active during daytime migration. We used behavioural molecular mapping based on ZENK activation to investigate if Cluster N is active in the meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis), a day- and night-migratory species. We found that Cluster N of meadow pipits shows high neuronal activity under dim-light at night, but not under full room-light conditions during the day.