Wiener S I, Hartline P H
Neuroscience. 1987 May;21(2):557-64. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(87)90141-2.
An electrophysiological and anatomical study identified the sensory inputs to the "flank" of the mouse's superior colliculus, a large, ventrolateral extension of layer IV (stratum griseum intermediate) that has no overlying visual layers (II and III). Electrophysiological recordings with subsequent histological localization showed that the flank receives predominantly somatosensory projections from the perioral region but not visual input. In its caudal parts, the flank also has limb and trunk somatosensory inputs and auditory inputs. The perioral somatosensory projections to the flank are ordered somatotopically. The flank is considered part of the superior colliculus since the perioral inputs are adjacent to inputs from mystacial vibrissae in the more medial parts of the superior colliculus, hence forming a single continuous map. The finding that no visual responses occur above the flank (due to the absence of superficial layers) or within it is in accord with the concept of an intermodality "spatial register". Since flank neurons have somatosensory receptive fields in non-visible parts of the body and they lack visual responses, the flank may be involved more in tactile-dependent rather than in vision-dependent orienting behaviors. Thus, the superior colliculus may, in parallel, carry out sensorimotor transformations related to (1) shift of gaze and (2) tactile-dependent behaviors not involving vision.
一项电生理和解剖学研究确定了小鼠上丘“侧翼”的感觉输入，上丘的“侧翼”是IV层（中间灰质层）的一个大的腹外侧延伸部分，其上方没有视觉层（II层和III层）。随后进行组织学定位的电生理记录表明，侧翼主要接收来自口周区域的躯体感觉投射，而没有视觉输入。在其尾部，侧翼也有来自四肢和躯干的躯体感觉输入以及听觉输入。口周向侧翼的躯体感觉投射呈躯体定位排列。侧翼被认为是上丘的一部分，因为口周输入与上丘更内侧部分的触须输入相邻，从而形成一个单一的连续图谱。在侧翼上方（由于没有浅层）或侧翼内未出现视觉反应这一发现与跨模态“空间登记”的概念一致。由于侧翼神经元在身体不可见部位有躯体感觉感受野且缺乏视觉反应，侧翼可能更多地参与依赖触觉而非依赖视觉的定向行为。因此，上丘可能同时进行与（1）眼球运动和（2）不涉及视觉的依赖触觉行为相关的感觉运动转换。
