Department of Physiology and Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 26 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
Brain Struct Funct. 2021 Dec;226(9):3007-3022. doi: 10.1007/s00429-021-02367-9. Epub 2021 Sep 13.
The technology, methodology and models used by visual neuroscientists have provided great insights into the structure and function of individual brain areas. However, complex cognitive functions arise in the brain due to networks comprising multiple interacting cortical areas that are wired together with precise anatomical connections. A prime example of this phenomenon is the frontal-parietal network and two key regions within it: the frontal eye fields (FEF) and lateral intraparietal area (area LIP). Activity in these cortical areas has independently been tied to oculomotor control, motor preparation, visual attention and decision-making. Strong, bidirectional anatomical connections have also been traced between FEF and area LIP, suggesting that the aforementioned visual functions depend on these inter-area interactions. However, advancements in our knowledge about the interactions between area LIP and FEF are limited with the main animal model, the rhesus macaque, because these key regions are buried in the sulci of the brain. In this review, we propose that the common marmoset is the ideal model for investigating how anatomical connections give rise to functionally-complex cognitive visual behaviours, such as those modulated by the frontal-parietal network, because of the homology of their cortical networks with humans and macaques, amenability to transgenic technology, and rich behavioural repertoire. Furthermore, the lissencephalic structure of the marmoset brain enables application of powerful techniques, such as array-based electrophysiology and optogenetics, which are critical to bridge the gaps in our knowledge about structure and function in the brain.
视觉神经科学家使用的技术、方法和模型为研究单个脑区的结构和功能提供了重要的见解。然而，由于由多个相互作用的皮质区域组成的网络与精确的解剖连接一起连接在一起，因此大脑中会出现复杂的认知功能。这种现象的一个主要例子是额顶网络及其内部的两个关键区域：额眼区（FEF）和外侧顶内区（area LIP）。这些皮质区域的活动已独立与眼球运动控制、运动准备、视觉注意力和决策相关联。FEF 和 area LIP 之间也已经追踪到了强大的双向解剖连接，这表明上述视觉功能依赖于这些区域间的相互作用。然而，由于主要的动物模型恒河猴，我们对 area LIP 和 FEF 之间相互作用的了解进展有限，因为这些关键区域埋藏在大脑的脑沟中。在这篇综述中，我们提出，由于其皮质网络与人类和猕猴具有同源性、易于转染技术以及丰富的行为表现，普通狨猴是研究解剖连接如何产生功能复杂的认知视觉行为（如由额顶网络调节的行为）的理想模型。此外，狨猴大脑的脑回结构使得应用基于阵列的电生理学和光遗传学等强大技术成为可能，这些技术对于弥合我们对大脑结构和功能的认识差距至关重要。
