Priority map for action and perception in the primate superior colliculus

The process of transforming sensory inputs into actions is traditionally viewed as a serial and hierarchical affair: the cerebral cortex evaluates and decides, and the brainstem generates the necessary motor outputs. However, in vertebrates with a less-developed cerebral cortex, the responsibility for integrating different sources of sensory information and gating appropriate behavioral responses falls to brainstem structures such as the superior colliculus (SC). In this talk, I will present evidence that the SC retains a similar crucial role in higher-level sensory-motor functions even in the primate.

Rich Krauzlis, PhD, Professor, Systems Neurobiology Laboratoy, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA

Room 489