Absence of Visual Input Results in the Disruption of Grid Cell Firing in the Mouse.

ABSTRACT: Grid cells are spatially modulated neurons within the medial entorhinal cortex whose firing fields are arranged at the vertices of tessellating equilateral triangles [1]. The exquisite periodicity of their firing has led to the suggestion that they represent a path integration signal, tracking the organism's position by integrating speed and direction of movement [2-10]. External sensory inputs are required to reset any errors that the path integrator would inevitably accumulate. Here we probe the nature of the external sensory inputs required to sustain grid firing, by recording grid cells as mice explore familiar environments in complete darkness. The absence of visual cues results in a significant disruption of grid cell firing patterns, even when the quality of the directional informat

SUBMITTER: Chen G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5026695 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature