VISUO-MOTOR MAPPING IN THE OPTIC TECTUM OF SALAMANDERS

Results from electrophysiology, anatomy, and computer simulations demonstrate that the tectal sensori-motor system in salamanders can be understood as a system that preserves retinal coordinates on both tectal hemispheres and establishes a head-centered three-dimensional coordinate system by combination of the bilateral visual maps. Thus, the outputs of the sensory maps are results of retinal inputs and intertectal signal transfer. The sensory maps are connected to respective motor maps organized in the coordinates of the neck muscles. The system enables the animals to perform goal-directed saccades to objects at arbitrary positions within their egocentric frames of reference.