Vestibular representation in the mammalian cortex . (360G-Wellcome-085509_Z_08_Z)

Every sensory modality has spatial aspects and all vertebrates have a sensory organ dedicated to sensing linear and angular acceleration. I will examine how vestibular input is processed in the hippocampus and associated cortical areas and how it shapes network and single cell activity underlying complex cognitive processes such as spatial navigation. First, I will combine large-scale extracellular recordings with precise measurement of vestibular cues in awake, freely moving animals. I will ana lyze which populations (principal cells, interneurons, grid cells, place cells) are affected by vestibular cues and their contribution to network oscillations. I will also gather stimulus statistics for natural movement to use in the second part. Second, I will combine in vivo whole cell recordings with extracellular recordings in anesthetized animals to examine how vestibular input is coded on the sub- and supra-threshold level in single neurons of the hippocampus and associated cortical areas. This will help understand contribution of single neurons to network oscillations and the representation of the vestibular sense. The anticipated results will help clarify the neural basis of vestibular perception and provide the first steps towards understanding the mechanisms by which the vestibular sense is represented and integrated in the mammalian cortex.