Recent evidence points to the existence of lattices of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cytochrome oxidase (CYO) in deep layers of the superior colliculus. We sought to further describe their localization within the rat superior colliculus using new three dimensional (3D) digital imaging techniques. Texture maps of AChE staining within the stratum griseum intermediate (SGI) suggest a sheet of high enzyme activity punctuated by areas of pallor. This lattice of dense staining covered the caudal end of the colliculus and extended rostrally along the medial bank. Discrete regions of low staining were most apparent within the IVc subdivision of SGI. A similar examination of CYO activity failed to reveal any compartmentalization.
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Unlabelled: Multiple sources innervate the visual thalamus to influence image-forming vision prior to the cortex, yet it remains unclear how non-retinal and retinal input coordinate to shape thalamic visual selectivity. Using dual-color two-photon calcium imaging in the thalamus of awake mice, we observed similar coarse-scale retinotopic organization between axons of superior colliculus neurons and retinal ganglion cells, both providing strong converging excitatory input to thalamic neurons. At a fine scale of ∼10 µm, collicular boutons often shared visual feature preferences with nearby retinal boutons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCorticocortical (CC) projections in the visual system facilitate hierarchical processing of sensory information. In addition to direct CC connections, indirect cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) pathways through the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus can relay sensory signals and mediate cortical interactions according to behavioral demands. While the pulvinar connects extensively to the entire visual cortex, it is unknown whether transthalamic pathways link all cortical areas or whether they follow systematic organizational rules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurosci
January 2025
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, 9 Gronostajowa street, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
Dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) play a crucial role in controlling animals' orienting and approach behaviors toward relevant environmental stimuli. The ventral midbrain receives sensory input from the superior colliculus (SC), a tectal region processing information from contralateral receptive fields of various modalities. Given the significant influence of dopamine release imbalance in the left and right striatum on animals' movement direction, our study aimed to investigate the lateralization of the connection between the lateral SC and the midbrain DA system in male rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuroscience
January 2025
Barrow Neuroimaging Innovation Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA. Electronic address:
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers a non-invasive means to study PD and its progression. This study utilized the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model of parkinsonism to assess whether white matter microstructural integrity measured using advanced free-water diffusion tensor imaging metrics (fw-DTI) and gray matter density using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) can serve as imaging biomarkers of pathological changes following nigrostriatal denervation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExp Eye Res
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510000, Guangdong, China. Electronic address:
Currently, research on optic nerve injury predominantly focuses on the retina and optic nerve, but emerging evidence suggests that optic nerve injury also affects advanced visual structures like the superior colliculus (SC) and primary visual cortex (V1 region). However, the exact mechanisms have not been fully explored. This study aims to investigate the characteristics and mechanisms of pathology in the SC and V1 region after optic nerve crush (ONC) to deepen our understanding of the central mechanism of visual injury.
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