Saccade-responsive visual cortical neurons do not exhibit distinct visual response properties

Abstract

AbstractRapid saccadic eye movements are used by animals to sample different parts of the visual scene. Previous work has investigated neural correlates of these saccades in visual cortical areas such as V1, however how saccade-responsive neurons are distributed across visual areas, cell types, and cortical layers has remained unknown. Through analyzing 818 one-hour experimental sessions from the Allen Brain Observatory, we present a large-scale analysis of saccadic behaviors in head-fixed mice and their neural correlates. We find that saccade-responsive neurons are present across visual cortex, but their distribution varies considerably by transgenically-defined cell type, cortical area, and cortical layer. We also find that saccade-responsive neurons do not exhibit distinct visual response properties from the broader neural population, suggesting the saccadic responses of these neurons are likely not predominantly visually-driven. These results provide insight into the roles played by different cell types within a broader, distributed network of sensory and motor interactions.HighlightsSaccadic eye movement behaviors in head-fixed mice tend to occur in bursts, preferentially along the horizontal axis, and do not strongly depend on visual stimulus.Distributions of saccade-responsive neurons vary considerably by transgenically-defined cell type, visual area, and cortical layer. They are most prevalent in dorsal visual areas AL/PM/AM, inhibitory neurons, and deeper cortical layers.The majority of saccade-responsive neurons are selective for saccades in a particular direction, with an overwhelming preference for temporal over nasal saccades.Saccade-responsive neurons do not exhibit distinct visual response properties, suggesting saccade neural responses are not likely to be predominantly visually-driven.