Haltere and visual inputs sum linearly to predict wing (but not gaze) motor output in tethered flying Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: In the true flies (Diptera), the hind wings have evolved into specialized mechanosensory organs known as halteres, which are sensitive to gyroscopic and other inertial forces. Together with the fly's visual system, the halteres direct head and wing movements through a suite of equilibrium reflexes that are crucial to the fly's ability to maintain stable flight. As in other animals (including humans), this presents challenges to the nervous system as equilibrium reflexes driven by the inertial sensory system must be integrated with those driven by the visual system in order to control an overlapping pool of motor outputs shared between the two of them. Here, we introduce an experimental paradigm for reproducibly altering haltere stroke kinematics and use it to quantify multisensory integrat

SUBMITTER: Rauscher MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7893272 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature