To navigate through our surroundings, we must accurately perceive our direction of self-motion (i.e., heading). Heading perception is an interesting problem in sensory integration, requiring neural circuits that combine visual motion signals (optic flow) with vestibular signals, and perhaps also somatosensory and proprioceptive cues. The multi-sensory nature of heading perception can be appreciated by the experience of section, the powerful illusion of self-motion that accompanies large-field visual motion (e.g., at an IMAX theater). Although the processing of optic flow has been well studied in visual and parietal cortices, little is known about how or where visual and vestibular signals are integrated for heading perception. Areas MSTd and VIP appear to be promising candidates, for these areas are known to be involved in processing optic flow and have also been found to contain vestibular signals regarding head translation. The proposed experiment, which employ a custom-designed virtual reality system, address three specific aims regarding the neural basis of heading perception in trained primates.
Aim #1 examines the relative contributions of visual and vestibular cues to heading selectivity in MSTd/VIP. Specifically, we test whether the heading activity of neurons is enhanced by congruent combinations of visual and vestibular cues.
Aim #2 tests whether heading signals derived from visual and vestibular cues are coded in a common reference frame (eye-centered, head-centered, or intermediate), as might be expected if these different sensory signals, are combined synergistically to improve heading selectivity.
In Aim #3, we test more directly whether MSTd and VIP contribute to heading perception by recording from neurons during performance of a heading discrimination task. Monkeys will perform this task using optic flow alone, vestibular signals alone, or congruent combinations of the two cues. This will allow us to test whether MSTd/VIP neurons can account for the improvement in heading sensitivity seen under cue combination. These experiments will provide a comprehensive examination of whether MSTd/VIP neurons are involved in sensory integration for heading perception. Of clinical relevance, heading perception can be severely impaired in Alzheimer's disease, and this may contribute to spatial disorientation and navigational difficulties. By helping to elucidate the brain areas involved in heading perception, this work may eventually aid in targeting new Alzheimer's therapies to the appropriate brain regions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
7R01EY016178-03
Application #
7273529
Study Section
Central Visual Processing Study Section (CVP)
Program Officer
Oberdorfer, Michael
Project Start
2005-08-01
Project End
2010-07-31
Budget Start
2007-08-01
Budget End
2008-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$336,462
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
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Chen, Xiaodong; DeAngelis, Gregory C; Angelaki, Dora E (2018) Flexible egocentric and allocentric representations of heading signals in parietal cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:E3305-E3312
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Sasaki, Ryo; Angelaki, Dora E; DeAngelis, Gregory C (2017) Dissociation of Self-Motion and Object Motion by Linear Population Decoding That Approximates Marginalization. J Neurosci 37:11204-11219
Ohshiro, Tomokazu; Angelaki, Dora E; DeAngelis, Gregory C (2017) A Neural Signature of Divisive Normalization at the Level of Multisensory Integration in Primate Cortex. Neuron 95:399-411.e8
Laurens, Jean; Liu, Sheng; Yu, Xiong-Jie et al. (2017) Transformation of spatiotemporal dynamics in the macaque vestibular system from otolith afferents to cortex. Elife 6:
Chen, Aihua; Gu, Yong; Liu, Sheng et al. (2016) Evidence for a Causal Contribution of Macaque Vestibular, But Not Intraparietal, Cortex to Heading Perception. J Neurosci 36:3789-98
Sunkara, Adhira; DeAngelis, Gregory C; Angelaki, Dora E (2016) Joint representation of translational and rotational components of optic flow in parietal cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:5077-82
Kim, HyungGoo R; Pitkow, Xaq; Angelaki, Dora E et al. (2016) A simple approach to ignoring irrelevant variables by population decoding based on multisensory neurons. J Neurophysiol 116:1449-67
Gu, Yong; Cheng, Zhixian; Yang, Lihua et al. (2016) Multisensory Convergence of Visual and Vestibular Heading Cues in the Pursuit Area of the Frontal Eye Field. Cereb Cortex 26:3785-801

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