Normal behavioral responses to light and darkness and the pupillary light reflex are dependent upon the olivary pretectal nucleus in the diurnal Nile grass rat

Neuroscience
Andrew J GallAntonio A Nunez

Abstract

The olivary pretectal nucleus (OPT) is a midbrain structure that receives reciprocal bilateral retinal projections, is involved in the pupillary light reflex, and connects reciprocally with the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), a retinorecipient brain region that mediates behavioral responses to light pulses (i.e., masking) in diurnal Nile grass rats. Here, we lesioned the OPT and evaluated behavioral responses in grass rats to various lighting conditions, as well as their anxiety-like responses to light exposure. While control grass rats remained diurnal, grass rats with OPT lesions exhibited a more night-active pattern under 12h:12h light-dark (LD) conditions. However, when placed in constant darkness, OPT-lesioned grass rats became more active during their subjective day, suggesting that an exaggerated masking response to light may be responsible for the effect of OPT lesions on locomotor activity in LD. To test this hypothesis, we presented dark and light pulses to controls and grass rats with OPT lesions; controls increased their activity in response to light, whereas those with OPT lesions significantly increased activity in response to darkness. Further, when placed in a 7-h ultradian LD cycle, animals with OPT lesions were...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 1, 2018·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Lily YanAntonio A Nunez
Jun 29, 2018·Cell and Tissue Research·Douglas Wacker, Mike Ludwig
Mar 8, 2019·Scientific Reports·Wataru OtaTakashi Yoshimura
Jan 26, 2021·Frontiers in Neuroscience·Patrycja Orlowska-FeuerMarian Henryk Lewandowski

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