TY - JOUR T1 - Laminar Mechanisms of Saccadic Suppression in Primate Visual Cortex JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/2021.01.09.426063 SP - 2021.01.09.426063 AU - Sachira Denagamage AU - Mitchell P. Morton AU - John H. Reynolds AU - Monika P. Jadi AU - Anirvan S. Nandy Y1 - 2021/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/01/15/2021.01.09.426063.abstract N2 - Saccades are a ubiquitous and crucial component of our visual system, allowing for the efficient deployment of the fovea and its accompanying neural resources. Initiation of a saccade is known to cause saccadic suppression, a temporary reduction in visual sensitivity1,2 and visual cortical firing rates3–6. While saccadic suppression has been well characterized at the level of perception and single neurons, relatively little is known about the visual cortical networks governing this phenomenon. Here we examine the effects of saccadic suppression on distinct neural subpopulations within area V4. We find cortical layer- and cell type-specific differences in the magnitude and timing of peri-saccadic modulation. Neurons in the input layer show changes in firing rate and inter-neuronal correlations prior to saccade onset, suggesting that this layer receives information about impending saccades. Putative inhibitory interneurons in the input layer elevate their firing rate during saccades and may suppress the activity of other cortical subpopulations. A computational model of this circuit recapitulates our empirical observations and demonstrates that an input layer-targeting pathway can initiate saccadic suppression by enhancing local inhibitory activity. Together, our results provide a mechanistic understanding of how eye movement signaling interacts with cortical circuitry to enforce visual stability.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. ER -