Cerebellar control of a unitary head direction sense.

ABSTRACT: The head-direction (HD) system, a key neural circuit for navigation, consists of several anatomical structures containing neurons selective to the animal's head direction. HD cells exhibit ubiquitous temporal coordination across brain regions, independently of the animal's behavioral state or sensory inputs. Such temporal coordination mediates a single, stable, and persistent HD signal, which is essential for intact orientation. However, the mechanistic processes behind the temporal organization of HD cells are unknown. By manipulating the cerebellum, we identify pairs of HD cells recorded from two brain structures (anterodorsal thalamus and retrosplenial cortex) that lose their temporal coordination, specifically during the removal of the external sensory inputs. Further, we identify dist

SUBMITTER: Fallahnezhad M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9992783 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature