Topic: reticular formation

Fettah Abderrahman1, Boulain Marie1, Guilhemsang Lise2, Juvin Laurent1, Mallet Nicolas2, Barrière Grégory1 The intricate orchestration of motor control is governed by the cortico-basal ganglia- thalamocortical loops, with recent investigations highlighting the pivotal role of basal ganglia downstream projections to pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) in regulating specific motor programs. Despite these advancements, the precise mechanisms through which the basal ganglia networks selectively control these functional motor modules remain incompletely elucidated. Our findings in mouse reveal that th

To perform advanced behaviors employing vision, mechanisms are necessary to stabilize the scene on the retina, including the optokinetic reflex, mediated by the pretectum (PT). Additionally, this stabilizing responses are modified to redirect our eyes to specific targets playing a key role the optic tectum (OT). Here, we investigated the role of PT and OT in processing optokinetic and non-optokinetic stimuli in the lamprey; an accessible animal model that enables ex-vivo preparations maintaining sensory organs. Moreover, the unique stepwise development of their visual system allows to study th

The vestibular system is critical for maintaining balance and postural equilibrium in most vertebrates, and the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) is a key component in the integration of vestibular sensory inputs. However, it is not fully clear how MVN and its related brain regions contribute to vestibular equilibrium. In this study, we identified a population of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing neurons in the facial motor nucleus (FMN) of the brainstem that provides long-range inputs to MVN. While the lower motor neurons in FMN mediate specific orofacial and vibrissal muscle activ