Development of Multisensory Neurons and Multisensory Integration in Cat Superior Colliculus

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.17-07-02429.1997
• Publication Date: 2018-04-02T21:55:42Z
• Authors: Mark T. Wallace; Barry E. Stein
• Keywords: Multisensory Integration; Superior colliculus; Stimulus modality; Sensory cue; Superior Colliculi

The development of multisensory neurons and integration was examined in the deep layers superior colliculus kittens ranging age from 3 to 135 d postnatal (dpn). Despite high proportion adult animals, no such were found during first 10 life. Rather, all sensory-responsive unimodal. (somatosensory-auditory) at 12 dpn, visually responsive not until 20 dpn. Early responded weakly sensory stimuli, had long latencies, large receptive fields, poorly developed response selectivities. Most surprising, however, their inability integrate combinations cues produce significant enhancement (or depression), a characteristic feature adult. Responses differed little responses modality-specific components. At 28 dpn an abrupt physiological change noted. Some now integrated cross-modality exhibited enhancements when these spatially coincident depressions disparate. During next 2 months incidence neurons, capable adult-like integration, gradually increased. Once appeared given neuron, its properties changed with development. Even youngest integrating showed superadditive spatial characteristics that indistinguishable Nevertheless, neonatal manner which they temporally asynchronous distribution may reflect very different behavioral requirements ages. possible maturational role corticotectal projections gating is discussed.