The role of intrinsic brain activity in visual processing

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event The role of intrinsic brain activity in visual processing Florence Blanchard1*, Raúl Gil De Sagredo Martin1, 2, Gonzalo De Polavieja2* and Mikko Juusola1* 1 The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom 2 Cajal Institute, Spain Increasing evidences suggest that intrinsic brain activity plays an important role in visual information processing and variability in stimulus evoked- behaviour across the animal kingdom. However little is known about the autonomous mechanisms, which allow correct visual processing and behavioural response to moving visual stimuli. This important question can be addressed in quantitative details using genetically engineered “UV-flies” together with calcium imaging and novel theoretical approaches to analyse and model neural activity. This combined technique was recently developed in our lab in order to study in vivo and in real time how both visual cues and intrinsic brain activity modify the flow of information in circuits without interfering with the flies’ motion vision. The “UV-flies” mostly see ultraviolet patterns, while their brain circuits carry activity reporters, which under infrared-excitation emit fluorescence corresponding to their activity levels. With this method we are able to examine the neural selection and representations of UV-objects of interest and determine whether it requires automatic filtering to make them more recognizable against the background (salience processing) and/or feedbacks for tracking their travel across the neural landscapes (selective attention). We can also use targeted pharmacology to alter the brain state and associative learning to determine the role of central brain in the computation of visual processing. Because recent studies suggest that intrinsic activity can change during distractive stimulation and when the stimulus is associated with inputs from other sensory modalities or from more central brain areas, it is likely that Drosophila optic lobes are the site of key self-generated computations which dictates the behaviour of the flies in response to moving objects. Thus we propose that in the lamina - the very first synaptic layer in the optic lobe - intrinsic activity changes in response to visual cues according to stimulus salience, competing stimulation, and the brain state. Keywords: Lamina, calcium imaging, uv flies, intrinsic activity, circuit Conference: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, Fjälkinge, Sweden, 1 Aug - 8 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Poster presentation preferred Topic: Motion vision Citation: Blanchard F, Gil De Sagredo Martin R, De Polavieja G and Juusola M (2019). The role of intrinsic brain activity in visual processing. Front. Physiol. Conference Abstract: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision. doi: 10.3389/conf.fphys.2013.25.00031 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 28 Feb 2013; Published Online: 09 Dec 2019. * Correspondence: Dr. Florence Blanchard, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, f.blanchard@sheffield.ac.uk Dr. Gonzalo De Polavieja, Cajal Institute, Madrid, Spain, gonzalo.polavieja@cajal.csic.es Prof. Mikko Juusola, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, m.juusola@sheffield.ac.uk Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Florence Blanchard Raúl Gil De Sagredo Martin Gonzalo De Polavieja Mikko Juusola Google Florence Blanchard Raúl Gil De Sagredo Martin Gonzalo De Polavieja Mikko Juusola Google Scholar Florence Blanchard Raúl Gil De Sagredo Martin Gonzalo De Polavieja Mikko Juusola PubMed Florence Blanchard Raúl Gil De Sagredo Martin Gonzalo De Polavieja Mikko Juusola Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.