Modulation of visual physiology by behavioral state in monkeys, mice, and flies

When a monkey attends to a visual stimulus, neurons in visual cortex respond differently to that stimulus than when the monkey attends elsewhere. In the 25 years since the initial discovery, the study of attention in primates has been central to understanding flexible visual processing. Recent experiments demonstrate that visual neurons in mice and fruit flies are modulated by locomotor behaviors, like running and flying, in a manner that resembles attention-based modulations in primates. The similar findings across species argue for a more generalized view of state-dependent sensory processing and for a renewed dialogue among vertebrate and invertebrate research communities.

► The physiology of primate visual neurons is modified by spatial attention. ► The physiology of mouse and fly visual neurons is modified by locomotion. ► Locomotion-based modulations resemble attention-based modulations. ► Work in genetic model organisms may help reveal the mechanisms and functions of state-dependent sensory processing.