Developmental Reorganisation of Visual Motion Pathways

Abstract

In adults, visual form and motion activate independent networks of extrastriate areas which are roughly aligned with the ventral and dorsal streams, respectively. Using high-density steady-state ERPs, we have previously shown that the scalp topographies of infant form and motion responses are markedly different from those in adults, implying a substantial developmental reorganisation of the underlying cortical pathways. However, it is hard to discern the nature of this reorganisation from the ambiguous polarity and timing information available in steady-state ERPs. We have started to address this problem by measuring transient ERPs to motion onset. In adults, the transient ERP topography initially suggests activation of extrastriate cortex, but rapidly switches to a dominant focus over the occipital pole originating in V1 and/or V2. The infant ERP is similar to the initial phase of adult ERP, but lacks the sudden switch to a V1/V2-dominated topography. The implications of these results for the reorganisation of cortical motion pathways will be discussed, with particular focus on the idea that the adult V1/V2 component is mainly driven by feedback from extrastriate motion areas (eg, V5), and that these feedback signals are not present in the infant brain.