Multisensory integration in the superior colliculus of the alert cat.
The modality convergence patterns, sensory response properties, and principles governing multisensory integration in the superior colliculus (SC) of the alert cat were found to have fundamental similarities to those in anesthetized animals. Of particular interest was the observation that, in a manner indistinguishable from the anesthetized animal, combinations of two different sensory stimuli significantly enhanced the responses of SC neurons above those evoked by either unimodal stimulus. These observations are consistent with the speculation that there is a functional link among multisensory integration in individual SC neurons and cross-modality attentive and orientation behaviors.
Wallace
M T
MT
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.
Meredith
M A
MA
Stein
B E
BE
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D002415:Cats; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology*; D014474:Unconsciousness; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology