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Sensory Determinants of Head Direction Cell Activity

  • Chapter
The Neural Basis of Navigation

Abstract

Other portions of this volume provide a description of the fundamental properties of Head Direction (HD) cells and the brain structures that are important in processing this directional coding (see the Preface and Chapter 9). This chapter focuses on the types of sensory information that affect HD cell activity. We first consider how cues external to the body can affect HD cell discharge and then discuss the efficacy of cues derived from the body’s movements (i.e., those involved in path integration; see Chapter 9). We then discuss experiments that have examined how HD cells respond when these two types of information come in conflict with one another. Because many animals function in a three-dimensional environment, we’ll also describe studies that have examined HD cell activity when the animal is in different earth-centered planes. Finally, we conclude by discussing experiments that have explored the development of cue control and spatial orientation as it relates to HD cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, 6207 Moore Hall, Hanover, NH, 03755

    Jeffrey S. Taube

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  1. Jeffrey S. Taube
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Correspondence to Jeffrey S. Taube .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bowling Green State University, USA

    Patricia E. Sharp

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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Taube, J.S. (2002). Sensory Determinants of Head Direction Cell Activity. In: Sharp, P.E. (eds) The Neural Basis of Navigation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0887-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0887-8_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5288-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0887-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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