NEURAL CONTROL OF VISUAL VESTIBULAR BEHAVIOR

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Normal posture, balance and stable vision are dependent on interactions between the visual and vestibular systems. Our studies are directed at defining the neural substrate for normal visual-vestibular-oculomotor behavior. There is a continuous need to calibrate the motor output of the vestibular ocular reflex due to normal development or injury to the vestibular system. Without this calibration, difficulties in maintaining balance and clear vision during locomotion would occur. In addition to long-term calibration, vision is supported by moment-by-moment or dynamic visual-vestibular interactions. We recently used a combination of smooth pursuit and vestibular testing to demonstrate that smooth pursuit related neurons in area MSTd carry volitional smooth pursuit command signals. This is in contrast to the argument that MST neurons simply carry efference copy or proprioceptive signals related to eye position. We are now finishing a study that documents the signals carried by frontal eye fields to the NRTP. Our goal is to define the information carried in parallel cortical-ponto-cerebellar pathways supporting gaze control.