A 2D virtual reality system for visual goal-driven navigation in zebrafish larvae.

ABSTRACT: Animals continuously rely on sensory feedback to adjust motor commands. In order to study the role of visual feedback in goal-driven navigation, we developed a 2D visual virtual reality system for zebrafish larvae. The visual feedback can be set to be similar to what the animal experiences in natural conditions. Alternatively, modification of the visual feedback can be used to study how the brain adapts to perturbations. For this purpose, we first generated a library of free-swimming behaviors from which we learned the relationship between the trajectory of the larva and the shape of its tail. Then, we used this technique to infer the intended displacements of head-fixed larvae, and updated the visual environment accordingly. Under these conditions, larvae were capable of aligning and swim

SUBMITTER: Jouary A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5034285 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature