Subcortical Pathways and Awareness:Revealing Key Structures for Visual Awareness in Human and Monkeys - finanziato dall’Unione europea –NextGenerationEU” Missione 4 - Componente 2” - Investimento 1.3. - PE00000006 MNESYS
Progetto Humans and monkeys with blindness following primary visual cortex (V1) damage may retain non-conscious visual functions. This condition, known as “blindsight”, underscores the significance of studying V1-independent vision not only for understanding visual awareness, but also for uncovering the contribution of subcortical structures in non-conscious cognitive and social functions. SPARKS aims to integrate multimodal brain activity measures, behavioral studies, and cross-species comparisons in human and monkey neuroscience.
Experiment 1 delves into the micro-scale analysis of individual voxels using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). By estimating fMRI population receptive fields (pRF), this experiment parallels neurophysiological methods in monkeys to explore how subcortical structures process visual stimuli in relation to awareness and the impact of V1 lesions. This approach promises insights into cross-species functional homologies and will reveal the balance of post-lesional plasticity and stability in the visual system.
Experiment 2 expands to a macro-scale examination, applying dynamic functional connectivity to study system interactions across distant brain areas in humans and monkeys. This experiment assesses spatio-temporal dynamics and signal coordination as potential neural markers of visual awareness and V1-independent vision, possibly revealing species-specific patterns reflective of human neocortical adaptation.
SPARKS combines model-based and model-free neuroimaging techniques for a comprehensive understanding of brain mechanisms underlying awareness and the adaptive changes following V1 damage, with a specific focus on the contribution of subcortical structures. This integrative approach aims to offer a nuanced view of both local and global brain functions at the highest spatial and temporal scales, focusing on the dynamic interplay among distributed brain networks involved in visual awareness.