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Im Rahmen dieser Dissertationsschrift wird die Frage, wie Aufmerksamkeit die Verarbeitung von visueller Information beeinflusst, behandelt. Hierbei dient die hochentwickelte Fähigkeit von Primaten, visuelle Bewegungsinformation zu verarbeiten, als Modellsystem. Der Hauptteil dieser Arbeit besteht aus zwei aufeinander aufbauenden Studien, die Einzelzellableitung in dem Areal MT von wachen Rhesusaffen beinhalten und einem psychophysischen Experiment mit Humanprobanden. Alle drei Studien wurden mit dem Ziel entworfen, Aufmerksamkeitsmodulation bidirektionaler Bewegungsmuster zu untersuchen. Dieses Kapitel liefert eine generelle Einleitung zum visuellen System von Primaten mit einer Darstellung des Bewegungsverarbeitungspfades und von Aufmerksamkeitseinflüssen auf visuelle Verarbeitung. Einen Schwerpunkt des Einleitungsteils bildet die Übersicht der Verarbeitungsmechanismen bidirektionaler Bewegungsmuster im visuellen System und deren Aufmerksamkeitsmodulation. Das zweite Kapitel besteht aus drei Manuskripten, deren Zielsetzung und Haupterkenntnisse in kurzen Abschnitten zusammenfassend vorangestellt sind. Das dritte Kapitel bietet eine Zusammenfassung der Erkenntnisse, die im Rahmen dieser Dissertation gewonnen wurden.

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The current knowledge of the visual pathways in primates includes the patterns of projection from the retina through the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) to the striate cortex (V1) and the extra-striate projections towards the dorsal and ventral streams. Cells with short wavelength sensitive cone (S-cone) inputs in the dLGN have been studied extensively in New World marmosets but not in Old World macaques. This thesis presents results from studies in the macaque monkey which are more relevant to humans since humans are closer in evolution to Old World than New World monkeys. / The spatial, temporal, chromatic and orientation preferences of neurons in the dLGN of the macaque were investigated by electrophysiological methods. The physiological findings of cells with S-cone inputs were compared to cells with opponent inputs from the long and medium wavelength sensitive cones (L-cones & M-cones, respectively). The cells receiving S-cone inputs (blue-yellow or B-Y cells) preferred lower spatial frequencies than the cells with opponent L-cone and M-cone inputs (red-green or R-G cells). Orthodromic latencies from optic chiasm stimulation were measured where possible to distinguish differences in conduction velocity between the cell groups. Although the B-Y cells usually had longer latencies than R-G cells, there wasconsiderable overlap between the cell groups. / The recorded cells were localised through histological reconstruction of dLGN sections stained for Nissl substance. The distribution of B-Y cells within the dLGN was compared to the distribution of R-G cells. The majority of B-Y cells were located within the intercalated koniocellular layers as well as the koniocellular bridges (extensions of the koniocellular layers into the adjacent parvocellular layers). The B-Y cells were also largely segregated within the middle dLGN layers (K3, P3, K4 & P4). The R-G cells were mainly concentrated within the parvocellular layers (P3, P4, P5 & P6) and were evenly distributed throughout the middle and outer layers of the dLGN. / The study also included recordings from the extra-striate middle temporal area (MT) to determine whether a fast S-cone input exists from the dLGN to area MT which bypasses V1. The pattern of cone inputs to area MT neurons was investigated before and during inactivation of V1. The inactivation was done through reversible cooling with a Peltier thermocouple device or focal inactivation with y-amino butyric acid (GABA) iontophoresis. Precise inactivation of V1 to the topographically matching visual fields of the recording sites in area MT revealed a preservation of all three coneinputs in many cells. The subcortical sources of these preserved inputs are discussed with their relevance to blindsight, which is the limited retention of visual perception after V1 damage. Analysis of the latencies of area MT cells revealed a rough segregation into latencies faster or slower than 70 ms. Cells both with and without a significant change in response during V1 inactivation were present in each group. The findings reported in this thesis indicate that some of the preserved inputs in area MT during V1 inactivation may be carried by a direct input from the dLGN which bypasses V1.

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