Characterizing spatial information in feedforward and feedback signals between mouse visual and navigational areas

The visual system in the mammalian brain is traditionally believed to process visual information in a feedforward hierarchical structure. Retinal information is first projected to the primary visual cortex from the lateral geniculate nucleus, and further processed in higher visual areas for functional specializations. One of the functional specializations is visual navigation which project both landmark/object and self-motion information to the spatial memory system in the hippocampal formation. However, recent studies found a variety of anatomical feedback projections to visual areas from higher visual areas, non-visual sensorimotor areas, subcortical areas. Furthermore, functionally modulatory non-visual signals were observed in visual areas, including navigation, arousal, locomotion. This suggests that information flow for visual navigation is bidirectional between visual areas and the hippocampal formation by feedforward and feedback projections. Yet, it is unclear how these areas interact through the bidirectional projections. This project aims to investigate how spatial information is processed through feedforward and feedback projections between visual areas and hippocampal formation using in vivo electrophysiology experiments in mice with state-of-art Neuropixel under a virtual reality setup, and advanced computational methods.