Cellular evidence for efference copy in Drosophila visuomotor processing
Anmo J Kim1, Jamie K Fitzgerald1, Gaby Maimon1
1Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.
Nature Neuroscience
|August 4, 2015
Summary
Flies suppress self-generated visual motion during turns using neural circuits. This study provides electrophysiological evidence in Drosophila, showing motor inputs to visual neurons predict and cancel visual flow during flight.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Sensory Processing
Background:
- Locomoting flies generate visual motion stimuli during turns.
- Behavioral studies suggested neural mechanisms suppress self-motion perception.
- Direct electrophysiological evidence for this suppression was lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the suppression of self-generated visual motion in flying Drosophila.
- To provide direct electrophysiological evidence for motor-related inputs to visual neurons during turns.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings from visual neurons in Drosophila during flight.
- Behavioral analysis of flight turns and neuronal response latencies.
- Perturbation of motor-related inputs to assess their effect on visual processing.
Main Results:
- Visual neurons in Drosophila receive motor-related inputs during flight turns.
- These inputs are timed and signed to suppress visual responses to self-generated motion.
- Neuronal and behavioral latencies support the concept of internal predictions of visual drive.
Conclusions:
- Motor-related inputs to visual neurons in Drosophila act as internal predictions to suppress self-generated visual motion.
- This mechanism demonstrates common sensorimotor processing principles across species, including primates.
- Findings bridge the gap between behavioral observations and electrophysiological evidence for motion perception suppression.
