CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Luminance changes and object motion detection provides essential cues for a wide variety of behaviors such as mate, prey or predator detection. In our lab we have been studying the neural circuits involved in detecting threatening visual stimuli in a highly visual crab. In this work we started studying changes in the animal?s heart rate as a readout of sensory perception. By presenting a visual danger stimulus, animals responded by slowing their heart rate. There is a high correlation between this response and the intensity of stimulation. Detailed analyzes through electrocardiograms showed a heart rate dynamic in which two cardiac response phases can be distinguished. Phase I is an early response, temporarily located in the first half of the stimulation interval. Phase II, instead, is a later response, apparently supported by greater information integration. By using two stimulation protocols we adapted both phases differentially. Our results indicate that heart rate activity can be modulated, at least, by two visual detection systems. The biological purpose of such modulation, as well as the concerted execution of other behavioral responses, will be discussed at the poster.