scholarly journals Proprioceptive feedback determines visuomotor gain in Drosophila

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 150562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Bartussek ◽  
Fritz-Olaf Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Physiological Mechanism ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Biomechanical Properties ◽  
Antagonistic Effect ◽  
Proprioceptive Feedback ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Precise Integration ◽  
Object Fixation

Multisensory integration is a prerequisite for effective locomotor control in most animals. Especially, the impressive aerial performance of insects relies on rapid and precise integration of multiple sensory modalities that provide feedback on different time scales. In flies, continuous visual signalling from the compound eyes is fused with phasic proprioceptive feedback to ensure precise neural activation of wing steering muscles (WSM) within narrow temporal phase bands of the stroke cycle. This phase-locked activation relies on mechanoreceptors distributed over wings and gyroscopic halteres. Here we investigate visual steering performance of tethered flying fruit flies with reduced haltere and wing feedback signalling. Using a flight simulator, we evaluated visual object fixation behaviour, optomotor altitude control and saccadic escape reflexes. The behavioural assays show an antagonistic effect of wing and haltere signalling on visuomotor gain during flight. Compared with controls, suppression of haltere feedback attenuates while suppression of wing feedback enhances the animal’s wing steering range. Our results suggest that the generation of motor commands owing to visual perception is dynamically controlled by proprioception. We outline a potential physiological mechanism based on the biomechanical properties of WSM and sensory integration processes at the level of motoneurons. Collectively, the findings contribute to our general understanding how moving animals integrate sensory information with dynamically changing temporal structure.

scholarly journals Proprioceptive feedback determines visuomotor gain inDrosophila

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Bartussek ◽  
Fritz-Olaf Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Physiological Mechanism ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Biomechanical Properties ◽  
Antagonistic Effect ◽  
Proprioceptive Feedback ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Precise Integration ◽  
Object Fixation

Multisensory integration is a prerequisite for effective locomotor control in most animals. Especially the impressive aerial performance of insects relies on rapid and precise integration of multiple sensory modalities that provide feedback on different time scales. In flies, continuous visual signalling from the compound eyes is fused with phasic proprioceptive feedback to ensure precise neural activation of wing steering muscles within narrow temporal phase bands of the stroke cycle. This phase-locked activation relies on mechanoreceptors distributed over wings and gyroscopic halteres. Here we investigate visual steering performance of tethered flying fruit flies with reduced haltere and wing feedback signalling. Using a flight simulator, we evaluated visual object fixation behaviour, optomotor altitude control, and saccadic escape reflexes. The behavioural assays show an antagonistic effect of wing and haltere signalling on visuomotor gain during flight. Compared to controls, suppression of haltere feedback attenuates while suppression of wing feedback enhances the animal's wing steering range. Our results suggest that the generation of motor commands owing to visual perception is dynamically controlled by proprioception. We outline a potential physiological mechanism based on the biomechanical properties of wing steering muscles and sensory integration processes at the level of motoneurons. Collectively, the findings contribute to our general understanding how moving animals integrate sensory information with dynamically changing temporal structure.

scholarly journals Shared space, separate processes: Neural activation patterns for auditory description and visual object naming in healthy adults

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 2507-2520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marla J. Hamberger ◽  
Christian G. Habeck ◽  
Spiro P. Pantazatos ◽  
Alicia C. Williams ◽  
Joy Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Adults ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Object Naming ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Shared Space ◽  
Visual Object Naming

Mechanisms for generating temporal filters in the electrosensory system

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (10) ◽  
pp. 1281-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.J. Rose ◽  
E.S. Fortune
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Temporal Features ◽  
Level Of Activity ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Temporal patterns of sensory information are important cues in behaviors ranging from spatial analyses to communication. Neural representations of the temporal structure of sensory signals include fluctuations in the discharge rate of neurons over time (peripheral nervous system) and the differential level of activity in neurons tuned to particular temporal features (temporal filters in the central nervous system). This paper presents our current understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the transformations between these representations in electric fish of the genus Eigenmannia. The roles of passive and active membrane properties of neurons, and frequency-dependent gain-control mechanisms are discussed.

Haptic object recognition is influenced by the orientation of the body relative to gravity

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Michael Barnett-Cowan ◽  
Jody C. Culham ◽  
Jacqueline C. Snow
Keyword(s):  
Object Recognition ◽  
Character Recognition ◽  
Reference Frames ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Orientation ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Visual Object Recognition ◽  
Leftward Bias ◽  
Haptic Object

The orientation at which objects are most easily recognized — the perceptual upright (PU) — is influenced by body orientation with respect to gravity. To date, the influence of these cues on object recognition has only been measured within the visual system. Here we investigate whether objects explored through touch alone are similarly influenced by body and gravitational information. Using the Oriented CHAracter Recognition Test (OCHART) adapted for haptics, blindfolded right-handed observers indicated whether the symbol ‘p’ presented in various orientations was the letter ‘p’ or ‘d’ following active touch. The average of ‘p-to-d’ and ‘d-to-p’ transitions was taken as the haptic PU. Sensory information was manipulated by positioning observers in different orientations relative to gravity with the head, body, and hand aligned. Results show that haptic object recognition is equally influenced by body and gravitational references frames, but with a constant leftward bias. This leftward bias in the haptic PU resembles leftward biases reported for visual object recognition. The influence of body orientation and gravity on the haptic PU was well predicted by an equally weighted vectorial sum of the directions indicated by these cues. Our results demonstrate that information from different reference frames influence the perceptual upright in haptic object recognition. Taken together with similar investigations in vision, our findings suggest that reliance on body and gravitational frames of reference helps maintain optimal object recognition. Equally relying on body and gravitational information may facilitate haptic exploration with an upright posture, while compensating for poor vestibular sensitivity when tilted.

scholarly journals Target Interneuron Preference in Thalamocortical Pathways Determines the Temporal Structure of Cortical Responses

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 2815-2831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Audrey Hay ◽  
Jérémie Naudé ◽  
Philippe Faure ◽  
Bertrand Lambolez
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Response Duration ◽  
Cortical Response ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Thalamic Nuclei ◽  
Response Dynamics ◽  
Mean Field Model ◽  
Local Circuits ◽  
Feedforward Inhibition

Abstract Sensory processing relies on fast detection of changes in environment, as well as integration of contextual cues over time. The mechanisms by which local circuits of the cerebral cortex simultaneously perform these opposite processes remain obscure. Thalamic “specific” nuclei relay sensory information, whereas “nonspecific” nuclei convey information on the environmental and behavioral contexts. We expressed channelrhodopsin in the ventrobasal specific (sensory) or the rhomboid nonspecific (contextual) thalamic nuclei. By selectively activating each thalamic pathway, we found that nonspecific inputs powerfully activate adapting (slow-responding) interneurons but weakly connect fast-spiking interneurons, whereas specific inputs exhibit opposite interneuron preference. Specific inputs thereby induce rapid feedforward inhibition that limits response duration, whereas, in the same cortical area, nonspecific inputs elicit delayed feedforward inhibition that enables lasting recurrent excitation. Using a mean field model, we confirm that cortical response dynamics depends on the type of interneuron targeted by thalamocortical inputs and show that efficient recruitment of adapting interneurons prolongs the cortical response and allows the summation of sensory and contextual inputs. Hence, target choice between slow- and fast-responding inhibitory neurons endows cortical networks with a simple computational solution to perform both sensory detection and integration.

scholarly journals The Kinematic Control During the Backward Gait and Knee Proprioception: Insights from Lesions of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Viggiano ◽  
Katia Corona ◽  
Simone Cerciello ◽  
Michele Vasso ◽  
Alfredo Schiavone-Panni
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Step Length ◽  
Biomechanical Properties ◽  
Proprioceptive Feedback ◽  
Proprioceptive Information ◽  
Knee Motion ◽  
Backward Walking ◽  
Motor Strategy ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

AbstractAn already existing large volume of work on kinematics documents a reduction of step length during unusual gaits, such as backward walking. This is mainly explained in terms of modifications of some biomechanical properties. In the present study, we propose that the proprioceptive information from the knee may be involved in this change of motor strategy. Specifically, we show that a non-automated condition such as backward walking can elicit different motor strategies in subjects with reduced proprioceptive feedback after anterior cruciate ligament lesion (ACL). For this purpose, the kinematic parameters during forward and backward walking in subjects with ACL deficit were compared to two control groups: a group with intact ACL and a group with surgically reconstructed ACL. The knee proprioception was tested measuring the threshold for detection of passive knee motion. Subjects were asked to walk on a level treadmill at five different velocities (1-5km/h) in forward and backward direction, thereby calculating the cadence and step length. Results showed that forward walking parameters were largely unaffected in subjects with ACL damage. However, they failed to reduce step length during backward walking, a correction that was normally observed in all control subjects and in subjects with normal proprioceptive feedback after ACL reconstruction. The main result of the present study is that knee proprioception is an important signal used by the brain to reduce step length during the backward gait. This can have a significant impact on clinical evaluation and rehabilitation.

Differential Expression of Fibulin Family Proteins in Mechanically Strong vs. Weak Fetal Membrane Fragments

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Moore ◽  
Robert M. Moore ◽  
Deepak Kumar ◽  
Joseph M. Mansour ◽  
Brian M. Mercer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physiological Mechanism ◽  
Biomechanical Properties ◽  
Fetal Membrane ◽  
Weak Zone ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Collagen Remodeling ◽  
Uterine Contractions ◽  
Sentinel Event ◽  
Specific Proteins ◽  
Near Term

Untimely rupture of the fetal membranes (FM), the amnion and choriodecidua, which normally surround and protect the fetus prior to delivery, is a major cause of preterm birth and results in significant infant mortality and morbidity. The physiological mechanism which normally leads the FM to weaken and fail prior to birth is not known. Conventional thinking that FM rupture is precipitated by the stress of uterine contractions during labor fails to explain the 10% of term deliveries and 40% of preterm deliveries in which FM rupture is the sentinel event, preceding any uterine contractions. Recent studies from several laboratories indicate that the FM undergo a genetically-programmed, biochemically-mediated, maturation process, near term, which is characterized by collagen remodeling and apoptosis. In human FM, in contrast to rat membranes, these changes are limited to the region of the FM overlying the cervix [1]. In a series of publications, our group has demonstrated that human FM have a zone of physical weakness (decreased force to rupture and work to rupture relative to the other areas of the same FM) overlying the cervical opening of the uterus. We further demonstrate that this same zone is characterized by specific markers of increased collagen remodeling and apoptosis [1–3]. These regional characteristics develop prior to the onset of contractions of labor and persist until delivery. Furthermore, the rupture tear line of the FM intersects this weak zone and thus the rupture process is hypothesized to initiate in this weak zone [3]. In order to investigate how differences in the biochemical composition of the extra-cellular matrix of the weak and the strong zones of FM reflect their different biomechanical properties, we utilized a proteomics approach to identify differences in the abundance of specific proteins in weak and strong FM fragments. Initial 2-DIGE screening resolved differences in Fibulin 5 protein expression. This prompted further analysis of additional members of the Fibulin protein family.

scholarly journals Multimodal Computational Modeling of Visual Object Recognition Deficits but Intact Repetition Priming in Schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pejman Sehatpour ◽  
Anahita Bassir Nia ◽  
Devin Adair ◽  
Zhishun Wang ◽  
Heloise M. DeBaun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Hippocampal Formation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Visual Object Recognition ◽  
Visual Stream ◽  
Lateral Occipital Complex ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
Perceptual Closure

The term perceptual closure refers to the neural processes responsible for “filling-in” missing information in the visual image under highly adverse viewing conditions such as fog or camouflage. Here we used a closure task that required the participants to identify barely recognizable fragmented line-drawings of common objects. Patients with schizophrenia have been shown to perform poorly on this task. Following priming, controls and importantly patients can complete the line-drawings at greater levels of fragmentation behaviorally, suggesting an improvement in their ability to perform the task. Closure phenomena have been shown to involve a distributed network of cortical regions, notably the lateral occipital complex (LOC) of the ventral visual stream, dorsal visual stream (DS), hippocampal formation (HIPP) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We have previously demonstrated the failure of closure processes in schizophrenia and shown that the dysregulation in the sensory information transmitted to the prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in this failure. Here, using a multimodal imaging approach in patients, combining event related electrophysiological recordings (ERP) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of priming in perceptual closure. Using directed functional connectivity measures we demonstrate that priming modifies the network-level interactions between the nodes of closure processing in a manner that is functionally advantageous to patients resulting in the mitigation of their deficit in perceptual closure.

scholarly journals Modulation of Neural Oscillatory Activity during Dynamic Face Processing

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Foley ◽  
Gina Rippon ◽  
Carl Senior
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Source Analysis ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Facial Stimuli ◽  
Dynamic Faces ◽  
Face Stimuli ◽  
Low Frequency Power

Various neuroimaging and neurophysiological methods have been used to examine neural activation patterns in response to faces. However, much of previous research has relied on static images of faces, which do not allow a complete description of the temporal structure of face-specific neural activities to be made. More recently, insights are emerging from fMRI studies about the neural substrates that underpin our perception of naturalistic dynamic face stimuli, but the temporal and spectral oscillatory activity associated with processing dynamic faces has yet to be fully characterized. Here, we used MEG and beamformer source localization to examine the spatiotemporal profile of neurophysiological oscillatory activity in response to dynamic faces. Source analysis revealed a number of regions showing enhanced activation in response to dynamic relative to static faces in the distributed face network, which were spatially coincident with regions that were previously identified with fMRI. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that perception of realistic dynamic facial stimuli activates a distributed neural network at varying time points facilitated by modulations in low-frequency power within alpha and beta frequency ranges (8–30 Hz). Naturalistic dynamic face stimuli may provide a better means of representing the complex nature of perceiving facial expressions in the real world, and neural oscillatory activity can provide additional insights into the associated neural processes.

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