Strabismus, the misalignment of the two eyes, is a disorder of unknown etiology, caused by problems related to either the central innervation sent to the eye muscles and/or the eye muscles and orbital tissues themselves. Improving our understanding of the central and peripheral aspects of eye movement control is an important and necessary first step for an effective clinical diagnosis and treatment of strabismus patients. Our understanding of how the brain controls eye movements has benefited enormously from the comparison of neuronal activity with eye movements and the quantification of these relationships with mathematical models. Whereas this task has been very successful when considering eye movements in a single direction, mainly uncertainty, controversy and conflicting hypotheses currently exist when considering oculomotor control in three-dimensions. Part of the problem arises because arguments related to these controversies have been largely limited to behavioral observations. Very little data currently exist regarding the discharge properties of motor and premotor neurons for oculomotor control in 3D. Such a paucity of neurophysiological data includes the recent histological discovery of extraocular muscle pulleys and their postulated role in 3D eye movements (active pulley hypothesis). The long-term goal of these studies is to characterize neural activity during eye movements in 3D and to quantify these relationships with existing or expanded mathematical models of the oculomotor system. In this application, we propose a systematic series of experiments that, for the first time, will provide the missing link between behavior, imaging and modeling in understanding the role of mechanical and neural factors in 3D eye movement control. Accordingly, single unit recordings from motoneurons and premotor neurons during saccades, pursuit and the VOR will attempt to provide a comprehensive data set upon which existing and revised models of oculomotor function in 3D will be evaluated. Results from these experimental/modeling studies are fundamental in resolving these controversies and providing a comprehensive understanding of oculomotor function in health and disease. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY015271-04
Application #
7270400
Study Section
Sensorimotor Integration Study Section (SMI)
Program Officer
Agarwal, Neeraj
Project Start
2004-08-01
Project End
2008-08-31
Budget Start
2007-08-01
Budget End
2008-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$371,420
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
068552207
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
Rosenberg, Ari; Cowan, Noah J; Angelaki, Dora E (2013) The visual representation of 3D object orientation in parietal cortex. J Neurosci 33:19352-61
Klier, Eliana M; Meng, Hui; Angelaki, Dora E (2012) Reaching the limit of the oculomotor plant: 3D kinematics after abducens nerve stimulation during the torsional vestibulo-ocular reflex. J Neurosci 32:13237-43
Klier, Eliana M; Meng, Hui; Angelaki, Dora E (2011) Revealing the kinematics of the oculomotor plant with tertiary eye positions and ocular counterroll. J Neurophysiol 105:640-9
Ghasia, Fatema F; Meng, Hui; Angelaki, Dora E (2008) Neural correlates of forward and inverse models for eye movements: evidence from three-dimensional kinematics. J Neurosci 28:5082-7
Klier, Eliana M; Angelaki, Dora E; Hess, Bernhard J M (2007) Human visuospatial updating after noncommutative rotations. J Neurophysiol 98:537-44
Wei, Min; Angelaki, Dora E (2006) Foveal visual strategy during self-motion is independent of spatial attention. J Neurosci 26:564-72
Klier, Eliana M; Meng, Hui; Angelaki, Dora E (2006) Three-dimensional kinematics at the level of the oculomotor plant. J Neurosci 26:2732-7
Klier, Eliana M; Hess, Bernhard J M; Angelaki, Dora E (2006) Differences in the accuracy of human visuospatial memory after yaw and roll rotations. J Neurophysiol 95:2692-7
Klier, Eliana M; Angelaki, Dora E; Hess, Bernhard J M (2005) Roles of gravitational cues and efference copy signals in the rotational updating of memory saccades. J Neurophysiol 94:468-78
Adeyemo, Babatunde; Angelaki, Dora E (2005) Similar kinematic properties for ocular following and smooth pursuit eye movements. J Neurophysiol 93:1710-7

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