Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Vestibular System01:29

The Vestibular System

38.1K
The vestibular system is a set of inner ear structures that provide a sense of balance and spatial orientation. This system is comprised of structures within the labyrinth of the inner ear, including the cochlea and two otolith organs—the utricle and saccule. The labyrinth also contains three semicircular canals—superior, posterior, and horizontal—that are oriented on different planes.
38.1K
Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

6.2K
The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
6.2K
Inertial Frames of Reference01:03

Inertial Frames of Reference

7.9K
Newton’s first law is usually considered to be a statement about reference frames. It provides a method for identifying a special type of reference frame: the inertial reference frame. In principle, we can make the net force on a body zero. If its velocity relative to a given frame is constant, then that frame is said to be inertial. So, by definition, an inertial reference frame is a reference frame where Newton's first law holds valid. Newton's first law applies to objects with...
7.9K
Non-inertial Frames of Reference01:27

Non-inertial Frames of Reference

6.7K
A reference frame accelerating or decelerating relative to an inertial frame is a non-inertial frame. To help understand this, consider what taking off in an airplane, turning a corner in a car, riding a merry-go-round, and the circular motion of a tropical cyclone all have in common. All these systems are accelerating, decelerating, or rotating relative to the Earth; hence, they all are non-inertial frames. All these systems exhibit inertial forces, which merely seem to arise from motion,...
6.7K
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

2.7K
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
2.7K
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

3.2K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
3.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Neural and computational correlates of strategic aborting and long-run policy optimization in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Reassessing Choice Probability: What 59 Macaque Studies Tell Us About Decision-Related Activity in Visual Cortex.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Flexible Perception of Tactile Cues in Multiple Reference Frames.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience: Studying how the brain interacts with the world.

Neuron·2026
Same author

Temporal Structure of Reward Availability and Sensory Uncertainty Modulate Allocation Dynamics in Naturalistic Foraging.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Flexible computation of object motion and depth based on viewing geometry inferred from optic flow.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane
07:24

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane

Published on: August 22, 2025

654

Diverse spatial reference frames of vestibular signals in parietal cortex.

Xiaodong Chen1, Gregory C Deangelis, Dora E Angelaki

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Neuron
|November 19, 2013
PubMed
Summary

The parietal cortex uses different reference frames for vestibular self-motion. Ventral intraparietal area (VIP) uses a body-centered frame, while MSTd uses head- or eye-centered frames, impacting our understanding of vestibular functions.

More Related Videos

Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform
10:12

Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform

Published on: May 23, 2013

15.8K
Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction
05:02

Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction

Published on: August 30, 2019

6.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane
07:24

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane

Published on: August 22, 2025

654
Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform
10:12

Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform

Published on: May 23, 2013

15.8K
Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction
05:02

Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction

Published on: August 30, 2019

6.9K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Vestibular System
  • Spatial Navigation

Background:

  • The parietal cortex integrates sensory information to guide behavior.
  • Understanding reference frames for self-motion is crucial for coordinating sensory cues.
  • The ventral intraparietal area (VIP), parietoinsular vestibular cortex (PIVC), and dorsal medial superior temporal area (MSTd) are key areas in the parietal cortex involved in vestibular processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the reference frames of vestibular self-motion signals in VIP, PIVC, and MSTd.
  • To investigate how these areas represent spatial information related to self-motion.
  • To elucidate the distinct roles of these parietal areas in vestibular functions.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings in awake behaving animals.
  • Analysis of neuronal responses to self-motion stimuli.
  • Characterization of reference frames (body-centered, head-centered, eye-centered) for vestibular signals.

Main Results:

  • Vestibular heading tuning in VIP was body-centered (invariant to eye/head position).
  • PIVC showed intermediate reference frames between head and body centered.
  • MSTd exhibited reference frames between head and eye centered, with strongest eye/head position gain fields.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct spatial reference frames are used by VIP, PIVC, and MSTd to represent vestibular self-motion.
  • These findings challenge existing models and suggest diverse roles for these areas in vestibular processing.
  • The differential use of reference frames highlights the complex neural computations underlying spatial orientation and navigation.