Beschreibung:
The dorsal pulvinar (dPul), a higher-order thalamic hub, is instrumental in spatial orienting and selecting stimuli in our environment by gating cortico-thalamic-cortical communication. However, its precise role in perceptual decision-making, particularly under conditions of spatial competition and varying perceptual difficulty, is less understood. Moreover, dPul’s reciprocal connections with the central autonomic network (CAN) hint at its potentially profound influence on how the brain and physiological systems, such as the heart, interact. This thesis explores how the dPul modulates visuo...