What is the midbrain’s role in sensory integration?

David Berson introduces the midbrain and superior colliculus as reflexive centers for orienting to space and multisensory input.

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Episode notes

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. David Berson, PhD, a professor of neuroscience at Brown University and an expert on the visual system and circadian biology.

We explore how the brain processes visual information, from photons entering the eye to conscious perception in the cortex. We discuss color vision, the discovery of melanopsin and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, and how light regulates our circadian clock and melatonin release. We also examine the vestibular system's role in balance and motion detection, the cerebellum's function in motor coordination, and the midbrain's integration of multiple sensory inputs. Finally, we discuss the basal ganglia's role in decision-making and an extraordinary case of neuroplasticity in visual cortex.

Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

More Huberman Lab Essentials: https://hubermanlab.com/essentials

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Dr. David Berson

(00:00:30) Visual Perception, Photons & Retinal Processing, Ganglion Cells

(00:02:12) Color Vision, Wavelengths & Photoreceptors; Cones & Rods

(00:05:56) Sponsor: AGZ by AG1

(00:07:24) Melanopsin, Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells & Brightness Detection