Running modulates primate and rodent visual cortex differently

Abstract

When mice run, activity in their primary visual cortex (V1) is strongly modulated. This observation has altered conception of a brain region assumed to be a passive image processor. Extensive work has followed to dissect the circuits and functions of running-correlated modulation. However, it remains unclear whether visual processing in primates might similarly change during locomotion. We measured V1 activity in marmosets while they viewed stimuli on a treadmill. In contrast to mouse V1, marmoset V1 was slightly but reliably suppressed during running. Population-level analyses revealed trial-to-trial fluctuations of shared gain across V1 in both species, but these gain modulations were smaller and more often negatively correlated with running in marmosets. Thus, population-scale gain fluctuations of V1 reflect a common feature of mammalian visual cortical function, but important quantitative differences yield distinct consequences for the relation between vision and action in primates versus rodents.