Document Detail


Passive transport disrupts directional path integration by rat head direction cells.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  12890795     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
A subset of neurons in the rat limbic system encodes head direction (HD) by selectively discharging when the rat points its head in a preferred direction in the horizontal plane. The preferred firing direction is sensitive to the location of landmark cues, as well as idiothetic or self-motion cues (i.e., vestibular, motor efference copy, proprioception, and optic flow). Previous studies have shown that the preferred firing direction remains relatively stable (average shift +/- 18 degrees ) after the rat walks from a familiar environment into a novel one, suggesting that without familiar landmarks, the preferred firing direction can be maintained using idiothetic cues, a process called directional path integration. This study repeated this experiment and manipulated the idiothetic cues available to the rat as it moved between the familiar and novel environment. Motor efference copy/proprioceptive cues were disrupted by passively transporting the animal between the familiar and novel environment. Darkening the room as the animal moved to the novel environment eliminated optic flow cues. HD cell preferred firing directions shifted in the novel environment by an average of 30 degrees after locomotion from the familiar environment with the room lights off; by an average of 70 degrees after passive transport from the familiar environment with the room lights on; and by an average of 67 degrees after passive transport with the room lights off. These findings are consistent with the view that motor efference copy/proprioception cues are important for maintaining the preferred firing direction of HD cells under conditions requiring path integration.
Authors:
Robert W Stackman; Edward J Golob; Joshua P Bassett; Jeffrey S Taube
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.     Date:  2003-07-30
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of neurophysiology     Volume:  90     ISSN:  0022-3077     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Neurophysiol.     Publication Date:  2003 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2003-11-17     Completed Date:  2004-01-22     Revised Date:  2007-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0375404     Medline TA:  J Neurophysiol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2862-74     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Action Potentials / physiology*
Animals
Female
Head Movements / physiology*
Lighting / methods
Neurons / physiology*
Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
DC-00236/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS; MH-01286/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; MH-48924/MH/NIMH NIH HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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