Visual Neuroscience Laboratory
Laboratory Director: Heywood M. Petry, Ph.D.
Ongoing Research Projects (click titles for more information)
1. Neural Coding of Visual Movement and Attention. Human patients with damage to their visual cortex can detect moving visual stimuli without conscious perception of those objects, a phenomenon known as “blindsight”. This residual visual function is thought to be mediated by a pathway involving the superior colliculus, pulvinar and extrastriate visual cortex. This unconscious pathway processes information about visual movement and also likely mediates aspects of attention. We are conducting anatomical, physiological and optical brain imaging studies in an animal model to determine how neural information is transferred in this pathway. Our experiments should help to uncover mechanisms of visual motion coding that are common to all mammals, and may also provide information relevant to the treatment of disorders of motion processing such as dyslexia, schizophrenia, autism and Williams Syndrome.
2. Retinal Transplantation in Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients. My long-standing participation in this project being conducted at Audubon Hospital involves the electrophysiological assessment of vision in retinitis pigmentosa patients that have undergone retinal transplants in an attempt to improve their vision. We have used a non-invasive technique called multi-focal electroretinography (mfERG) to asses the function of individual regions of the retina prior to and following transplantation. At present there are no opportunities for graduate student involvement in this project.
Collaborators:
Dr. Martha E. Bickford, Dept. of Anatomical Sciences & Neurobiology, University of Louisville
Dr. Christian Casanova, School of Optometry, University of Montreal
Dr. Norman D. Radtke, Audubon Hospital, Louisville KY
Recent Publications and Presentations (* indicates student):
2012
Baldwin* MKL, Wei* H, Reed* JL, Bickford ME, Petry HM, Kaas JH. (2012) Cortical projections to the superior colliculus in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri). Journal of Comparative Neurology. DOI: 10.1002/cne.23249
Petry HM, Bickford ME. (2012) What is the role of the pulvinar nucleus in visual motion processing? [Abstract] Journal of Vision, 12(9), article 1372. doi: 10.1167/12.9.1372 Symposium presentation at the annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, Naples FL, May 2012.
Petry HM, Clark* CT, Day-Brown* JD, Bolin* RT, Bickford ME. (2012) Behavioral measurement of RDK velocity discrimination thresholds in the tree shrew. [Abstract] Journal of Vision, 12(9), article 1223. doi: 10.1167/12.9.1223. Presented at the annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, Naples FL, May 2012.
Dang* W, Masterson* SP, Day-Brown* JD, Maire* PS, Bickford ME, Petry HM. (2012) Receptive field characteristics of visually-responsive neurons in the tree shrew pulvinar nucleus. Program No. 467.13. Neuroscience Meeting Planner. New Orleans LA: Society for Neuroscience, 2012. Online.
2011
Wei* H, Bonjean* M, Petry HM, Sejnowski T, Bickford ME (2011) Thalamic burst firing propensity: a comparison of the dorsal lateral geniculate and pulvinar nuclei in the tree shrew. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(47), 17287-17299. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6431-10.2011.
Wei* H, Masterson* SP, Petry HM, Bickford ME (2011) Diffuse and specific tectopulvinar terminals in the tree shrew: synapses, synapsins, and synaptic potentials. PLoS ONE, 6(8): e23781. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023781
Kiser* PJ, Morris* JG, Petry HM, Wilt SD, Mower GD (2011) Munc13-3 mutation disrupts monocular deprivation induced ocular dominance shifts in visual cortex of young and adult mice. Program No. 913.06. Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience, 2011. Online.
2010
Day-Brown* JD, Wei* H, Chomsung* RD, Petry HM, Bickford ME (2010) Pulvinar projections to the straitum and amygdala in the tree shrew. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 4, article 143. (published November 15, 2010, dii: 10.3389/fnana.2010.00143).
Day-Brown JD*, Wei* H, Chomsung* RD, Petry HM, Bickford ME. (2010) Pulvinar projections to the striatum and amygdala. Program No. 72.13. Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2010. Online.
Wei* H, Dillihay* DS, Petry HM, Bickford ME. (2010) Thalamic burst firing propensity: a comparison of the dorsal lateral geniculate and pulvinar nuclei in the tree shrew. Program No. 72.16. Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2010. Online.
2009
Chomsung* RD, Wei* H, Day-Brown* JD, Petry HM, Bickford ME. (2009/2010) Synaptic organization of connections between the temporal cortex and pulvinar nucleus of the tree shrew. Cerebral Cortex, 20, 997-2011. Advance Access published August 14, 2009, doi:10.1093/cerecor/bhp162.
Aramant RB, Seiler MJ, Petry HM, Green P, Pidwell D, Radtke ND, (2009) Retinal transplantation improves vision in macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa patients. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 837.12.
Day-Brown* JD, Wei* H, Petry HM, Bickford ME. (2009) Characterization of claustrum-V1 connections. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 848.11.
Radtke ND, Aramant RB, Seiler MJ, Pidwell D, Petry HM. (2009) Implantation of immature retina and retinal pigment epithelium in retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. Presented at the Macula of Paris Conference, Paris, France, January 2009.
Vanni* MP, Villeneuve* MY, Bickford ME, Petry HM, Casanova C. (2009) Functional organization of the primary visual cortex (areas 17 and 18) of the tree shrew revealed by optical brain imaging [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 9(8):770, 770a, http://journalofvision.org/9/8/770/, doi:10.1167/9.8.770. Presented at the annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, Naples FL, May 2009.
Vanni* MP, Villeneuve* MY, Minville K, Petry ME, Bickford ME, Casanova C. (2009) Organization of area V1 and V2 of the tree shrew revealed by optical imaging: evidence of orientation and spatial frequency maps and absence of direction domains. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 352.12.
Wei*, H, Day-Brown* JD, Chomsung* RD, Petry HM, Bickford ME. (2009) The pulvinar nucleus and corticocortical communication. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 848.19.
2008
Chomsung*, RD, Petry, HM, Bickford ME. (2008) Ultrastructural examination of diffuse and specific tectopulvinar projections in the tree shrew. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 510(24), 24-46.
Chomsung*, RD, Wei* H, Day-Brown* JD, Petry, HM, Bickford ME. (2008) The projection from the pulvinar nucleus to the tree shrew striatum. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 458.16.
Petry, HM. (2008) The Grawemeyer Awards in Psychology. In The Power of Ideas: Volume II, AE Dittmer, SR Garrett, RA Payne, M Satterwhite and HM Petry. Louisville KY: Butler Books, pp 210-251.
Radtke ND, Aramant RB, Petry HM, Greene PT, Pidwell DJ, Seiler M. (2008) Vision improvement in retinal degeneration patients by implantation of retina together with retinal pigment epithelium. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 146(2), 172-182.
2007
Chomsung*, RD, Petry, HM, Eisenback MA, Bickford ME. (2007) Synaptic organization of the projection from the temporal cortex to the tree shrew pulvinar nucleus. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 392.10.
Day-Brown*, JD, Chomsung*, RD, Petry, HM, Bickford ME. (2007) Synaptic organization of striate cortex projections to the tree shrew dorsal thalamus. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 392.7.
Lyons*, SR, Day-Brown*, JD, Chomsung*, RD, Petry, HM, Bickford ME. (2007) Synaptic organization of striate cortex projections to the tree shrew superior colliculus. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 392.9.
Wei*, H. Masterson*,SP, Petry, HM, Bickford, ME. (2007) Development of low-threshold spikes in the tree shrew visual thalamus. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 392.11.
