The superior colliculus (SC) is a subcortical brain structure that is relevant for sensation, cognition, and action. In nonhuman primates, a rich history of studies has provided unprecedented detail about this structure's role in controlling orienting behaviors; as a result, the primate SC has become primarily regarded as a motor control structure. However, as in other species, the primate SC is also a highly visual structure: A fraction of its inputs is retinal and complemented by inputs from visual cortical areas, including the primary visual cortex. Motivated by this, recent investigations are revealing the rich visual pattern analysis capabilities of the primate SC, placing this structure in an ideal position to guide orienting movements. The anatomical proximity of the primate SC to both early visual inputs and final motor control apparatuses, as well as its ascending feedback projections to the cortex, affirms an important role for this structure in active perception.

中文翻译：

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灵长类动物上丘的视觉功能

上丘 (SC) 是与感觉、认知和行动相关的皮层下大脑结构。在非人类灵长类动物中，丰富的研究历史提供了关于这种结构在控制定向行为中的作用的前所未有的细节。因此，灵长类动物 SC 主要被视为一种运动控制结构。然而，与其他物种一样，灵长类 SC 也是高度视觉结构：其输入的一部分是视网膜，并由视觉皮层区域（包括初级视觉皮层）的输入补充。受此启发，最近的研究揭示了灵长类动物 SC 丰富的视觉模式分析能力，使该结构处于引导定向运动的理想位置。灵长类动物 SC 与早期视觉输入和最终运动控制装置在解剖学上的接近性，以及其对皮层的上升反馈投射，证实了该结构在主动感知中的重要作用。