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Learning in the oculomotor system: from molecules to behavior
1Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Sherman Fairchild Building, Room 251, Stanford, California 94305, USA. jraymond@phy.ucsf.edu
Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|January 23, 1999
Summary
Researchers are linking brain circuit changes to eye movement behavior through system-level and cellular-molecular studies of oculomotor learning, including saccadic and vestibulo-ocular adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oculomotor Systems
- Learning and Memory
Background:
- Oculomotor learning research integrates system-level and cellular-molecular perspectives.
- Understanding the neural basis of eye movement adaptation is a key goal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To link synaptic plasticity in oculomotor circuits to signal processing and eye movement behavior.
- To explore the neural mechanisms underlying saccadic and vestibulo-ocular adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral analysis of saccadic adaptation to identify plasticity loci.
- Investigation of molecular pathways in cerebellum-dependent vestibulo-ocular adaptation.
Main Results:
- Behavioral studies provide constraints for identifying neural sites of plasticity.
- Early investigations into molecular pathways for vestibulo-ocular adaptation are underway.
Conclusions:
- Combining system and cellular approaches advances understanding of oculomotor learning.
- Neural plasticity in oculomotor circuits directly impacts eye movement control and adaptation.
Keywords:
Non-programmatic