The pulvinar as a hub of visual processing and cortical integration

Trends Neurosci. 2023 Dec 23:S0166-2236(23)00270-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.11.008. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is a crucial component of the visual system and plays significant roles in sensory processing and cognitive integration. The pulvinar's extensive connectivity with cortical regions allows for bidirectional communication, contributing to the integration of sensory information across the visual hierarchy. Recent findings underscore the pulvinar's involvement in attentional modulation, feature binding, and predictive coding. In this review, we highlight recent advances in clarifying the pulvinar's circuitry and function. We discuss the contributions of the pulvinar to signal modulation across the global cortical network and place these findings within theoretical frameworks of cortical processing, particularly the global neuronal workspace (GNW) theory and predictive coding.PMID:38143202 | DOI:10.1016/j.tins.2023.11.008
Source: Trends in Neurosciences - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research