Topic: dark-responsive neurons

Many mammalian species, including mice, switch between lit and dark environments during normal exploratory, foraging, and predator evasion behaviors by moving in and out of dark spaces. How neuronal activity encodes visual features in the primary visual cortex (V1) in lit environments and under various luminance levels has been well-studied in many mammalian species. However, how the functionally distinct superficial and deep cortical layers of the V1 encode abrupt and sustained changes in light conditions in freely exploring animals remains unclear. To address this question, we recorded neuro