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Inertial Processing of Vestibulo‐Ocular Signals
Author(s) -
HESS BERNHARD J. M.,
ANGELAKI DORA E.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb09181.x
Subject(s) - otolith , vestibular system , inertial frame of reference , semicircular canal , vestibulo–ocular reflex , physics , acceleration , head (geology) , angular acceleration , utricle , linear acceleration , geodesy , acoustics , geology , classical mechanics , neuroscience , psychology , biology , geomorphology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
A bstract : New evidence for a central resolution of gravito‐inertial signals has been recently obtained by analyzing the properties of the vestibulo‐ocular reflex (VOR) in response to combined lateral translations and roll tilts of the head. It is found that the VOR generates robust compensatory horizontal eye movements independent of whether or not the interaural translatory acceleration component is canceled out by a gravitational acceleration component due to simultaneous roll‐tilt. This response property of the VOR depends on functional semicircular canals, suggesting that the brain uses both otolith and semicircular canal signals to estimate head motion relative to inertial space. Vestibular information about dynamic head attitude relative to gravity is the basis for computing head (and body) angular velocity relative to inertial space. Available evidence suggests that the inertial vestibular system controls both head attitude and velocity with respect to a gravity‐centered reference frame. The basic computational principles underlying the inertial processing of otolith and semicircular canal afferent signals are outlined.