Investigating mouse superior colliculus function using two-photon calcium imaging.

In vivo two-photon calcium imaging has fuelled ongoing progress in understanding the superior colliculus (SC). This has been achieved through technical endeavors that have made this midbrain structure optically accessible. In this mini-review, we summarize these methods. New techniques, materials, and ideas will further advance these methods, making SC imaging both less invasive and more accessible in the future. In doing so, two-photon calcium imaging will undoubtedly continue to contribute to our understanding of the SC and the cellular and circuit mechanisms underlying sensory processing and sensorimotor function in the brain.