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Common reference frame for neural coding of translational and rotational optic flow

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Abstract

Self-movement of an organism through the environment is guided jointly by information provided by the vestibular system and by visual pathways that are specialized for detecting ‘optic flow’1,2. Motion of any object through space, including the self-motion of organisms, can be described with reference to six degrees of freedom: rotation about three orthogonal axes, and translation along these axes. Here we describe neurons in the pigeon brain that respond best to optic flow resulting from translation along one of the three orthogonal axes. We show that these translational optic flow neurons, like rotational optic flow neurons3,4,5, share a common spatial frame of reference with the semicircular canals of the vestibular system. The three axes to which these neurons respond best are the vertical axis and two horizontal axes orientated at 45° to either side of the body midline.

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Figure 1: Generic description for motion of an object in three-dimensional space and optic flowfields generated by translation along, and rotation about the z-axis.
Figure 2: Tuning curves of a binocular nBOR neuron that is maximally responsive to translational optic flow along the vertical axis are shown.
Figure 3: Tuning curves of a binocular nBOR neuron that is maximally responsive to translational optic flow along an horizontal axis orientated ∼45° to the midline are shown.
Figure 4: Best axes of translation- and rotation-sensitive neurons in the vestibulocerebellum of pigeons.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Dawson, D. Crewther and I. Curthoys for comments on this manuscript, and K. Lau and R. Glover for technical assistance. This research was supported by grants from the NSERC and AHFMR (to D.R.W.W.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E9, Alberta, Canada

    D. R. W. Wylie & W. F. Bischof

  2. Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Ontario, Canada

    B. J. Frost

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  1. D. R. W. Wylie
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  2. W. F. Bischof
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  3. B. J. Frost
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Correspondence to D. R. W. Wylie.

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Wylie, D., Bischof, W. & Frost, B. Common reference frame for neural coding of translational and rotational optic flow. Nature 392, 278–282 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/32648

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