Area-specific mapping of binocular disparity across mouse visual cortex

Abstract

Binocular disparity, the difference between left and right eye images, is a powerful cue for depth perception. Many neurons in the visual cortex of higher mammals are sensitive to binocular disparity, with distinct disparity tuning properties across primary and higher visual areas. Mouse primary visual cortex (V1) has been shown to contain disparity-tuned neurons, but it is unknown how these signals are processed beyond V1. We find that disparity signals are prominent in higher areas of mouse visual cortex. Preferred disparities markedly differ among visual areas, with area RL encoding visual stimuli very close to the mouse. Moreover, disparity preference is systematically related to visual field elevation, such that neurons with receptive fields in the lower visual field are overall tuned to near disparities, likely reflecting an adaptation to natural image statistics. Our results reveal ecologically relevant areal specializations for binocular disparity processing across mouse visual cortex.