BEYOND VISION: HOW VISUAL CIRCUITS INTEGRATE DIVERSE SELF-MOTION SIGNALS

The construction of a stable spatial representation of the external world is fundamental to an organism's ability to survive. This process presents significant challenges, as sensory inputs are acquired through organs in near-continuous motion. Visual systems must contend with constant eye and head movements that shift the retinal image. Additionally, successful movement execution depends on external factors that can cause involuntary movements, adding complexity to sensory interpretation. To disambiguate between these possibilities, vision must use motor and vestibular signals. Most primary visual cortex (V1) neurons in mice respond to both visual and non-visual stimuli. Previous studies showed that vestibular organs are necessary for V1 neurons to respond to externally-generated head rotations (passive condition), even without visual stimuli. V1 neurons also respond to fast eye movements, suggesting V1 might use these non-visual signals to refine sensory experience. However, most studies were performed under passive conditions with head-fixed animals, limiting our understanding of how self-generated head movements and different combinations of head and eye movements impact V1 activity. To address these questions, we combined chronic extracellular recordings in V1 using high-density silicon probes, an inertial measurement unit to track head movements, and an embedded camera to monitor eye movements. By recording neural activity during self-generated head turns and motorized turntable rotations, we aim to uncover how different combinations of head and eye movements impact V1 activity. This study will provide new insights into how the visual cortex integrates head and eye movement information, advancing our understanding of vision in naturalistic conditions.