Journal of Neuroscience · 2004 · 187 citations · 21 references
Visual InterfaceBrain MechanismVisualization (Graphics)Multisensory NeuronsMaturational ProcessesSocial SciencesSensory IntegrationNeural MechanismVirtual RealityCognitive NeuroscienceMultisensory IntegrationVisual ModelingCognitive ScienceBehavioral SciencesEarly Sensory ExperiencesDesignPerceptual User InterfaceVisual PathwayVisual ProcessingNeuroanatomyNeuroscienceCentral Nervous System
Multisensory neurons in the superior colliculus gradually develop the ability to integrate cues during midbrain maturation. The study aimed to test whether early visual experience is critical for this maturation. To investigate this, animals were raised without visual cues. Adult SC of visually deprived animals contained many multisensory neurons, most of which were visually responsive, yet these neurons failed to integrate cross‑modal inputs, indicating that visual experience is essential for developing multisensory integration and that deprivation impairs sensitivity to cross‑modal events.
Multisensory neurons and their ability to integrate multisensory cues develop gradually in the midbrain [i.e., superior colliculus (SC)]. To examine the possibility that early sensory experiences might play a critical role in these maturational processes, animals were raised in the absence of visual cues. As adults, the SC of these animals were found to contain many multisensory neurons, the large majority of which were visually responsive. Although these neurons responded robustly to each of their cross-modal inputs when presented individually, they were incapable of synthesizing this information. These observations suggest that visual experiences are critical for the SC to develop the ability to integrate multisensory information and lead to the prediction that, in the absence of such experience, animals will be compromised in their sensitivity to cross-modal events.
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