The accessory optic system in pigeons: receptive field properties of identified neurons

Britto, Luiz Roberto Giorgetti de; Natal, C.L.; Marcondes, Ana Maria

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(81)90107-4

Cited by 41 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Taken together with previous studies (Britto et al, 1981;Burns and Wallman, 1981;Morgan and Frost, 1981;Gioanni et al, 1984;Wylie and Frost, 1990;WolfOberhollenzer and Kirschfeld, 1994;Zhang et al, 1999), our study suggests that the almost all nBOR cells are selective for the direction and velocity of moving targets in (Karten and Hodos, 1967). Numerals 1-4 label cells whose electrophysiological data are shown in other figures.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Visual responses of neurons in the nucleus of the basal optic root to stationary stimuli in pigeons

Wang

2002

J of Neuroscience Research

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The nucleus of the basal optic root of the accessory optic system in pigeons is involved in generating optokinetic nystagmus, which stabilizes object images on the retina by compensatory eye movements. Previous studies have indicated that basal optic neurons are selective for the direction and velocity of motion. The present study shows that these optokinetic cells also respond to stationary stimuli and thereby could be categorized into three groups. The first group of cells (69.1%) responds to stationary gratings orthogonal to the preferred direction but not to gratings parallel to the preferred direction. They do not respond to stationary random-dot patterns without any orientational cues. The second group of cells (7.4%) almost equally discharges a series of bursts in response to stationary gratings with any orientations and to random-dot patterns as well. The third group of cells (23.5%) is responsive to motion but not to stationary gratings and random-dot patterns. The receptive field of basal optic cells is composed of an excitatory field and an inhibitory field, both of which overlap or occupy different regions in the visual field. The aforementioned properties may be attributed to the excitatory receptive field, whereas the inhibitory receptive field is functional when visual stimuli are moving in the direction opposite to the preferred direction of basal optic cells. The functional significance of visual responses of optokinetic neurons to stationary patterns is discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Visual responses of neurons in the nucleus of the basal optic root to stationary stimuli in pigeons

Wang

2002

J of Neuroscience Research

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“…The avian optokinetic pathways, which generate both the optokinetic nystagmus and the OCR, include the nucleus of the basal optic roots (nBOR), the pretectal nucleus lentiformis mesencephali (LM), and the vestibulo-cerebellum (Britto et al 1981;Frost et al 1990;Fu et al 1998aFu et al , 1998bGioanni et al 1983aGioanni et al , 1983bGioanni et al , 1984Masseck and Hoffmann 2009;Wallman 1981, 1985;Morgan and Frost 1981;Telford and Frost 1989;Wang et al 2000;Winterson and Brauth 1985;Wylie and Frost 1990a, 1990bWylie et al 1998;Zhang et al 1999). …”

Section: Possible Anatomical Pathways Involved In Modulation Of Slow mentioning

confidence: 99%

Possible cues driving context-specific adaptation of optocollic reflex in pigeons (Columba livia)

Gioanni

Vidal

2012

Journal of Neurophysiology

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Context-specific adaptation (Shelhamer M, Clendaniel R. Neurosci Lett 332: 200-204, 2002) explains that reflexive responses can be maintained with different "calibrations" for different situations (contexts). Which context cues are crucial and how they combine to evoke context-specific adaptation is not fully understood. Gaze stabilization in birds is a nice model with which to tackle that question. Previous data showed that when pigeons (Columba livia) were hung in a harness and subjected to a frontal airstream provoking a flying posture ("flying condition"), the working range of the optokinetic head response [optocollic reflex (OCR)] extended toward higher velocities compared with the "resting condition." The present study was aimed at identifying which context cues are instrumental in recalibrating the OCR. We investigated that question by using vibrating stimuli delivered during the OCR provoked by rotating the visual surroundings at different velocities. The OCR gain increase and the boost of the fast phase velocity observed during the "flying condition" were mimicked by body vibration. On the other hand, the newly emerged relationship between the fast-phase and slow-phase velocities in the "flying condition" was mimicked by head vibration. Spinal cord lesion at the lumbosacral level decreased the effects of body vibration, whereas lesions of the lumbosacral apparatus had no effect. Our data suggest a major role of muscular proprioception in the context-specific adaptation of the stabilizing behavior, while the vestibular system could contribute to the context-specific adaptation of the orienting behavior. Participation of an efferent copy of the motor command driving the flight cannot be excluded.

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“…In pigeons and some other birds, when walking on the ground, a 'headbobbing' reflex also stabilises the head (Dunlap and Mowrer, 1930;Friedman, 1975;Frost, 1978;Davies and Green, 1988;Green et al, 1994;Troje and Frost, 2000;Fujita, 2003). The fundamental role of the nucleus of the optic basal root (nBOR) and the pretectal nucleus lentiformis mesencephali (nLM) in the elaboration of optokinetic responses in birds is well established (Britto et al, 1981;Mc Kenna andWallman, 1981, 1985;Morgan and Frost, 1981;Gioanni et al, 1983aGioanni et al, ,b, 1984Winterson and Brauth, 1985;Telford and Frost, 1989;Frost, 1990a,b, 1999;Wylie et al, 1998a;Frost et al, 1990;Fu et al, 1998a,b;Zhang et al, 1999;Wang et al, 2000a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of the behavioural context on the optocollic reflex (OCR) in pigeons (Columba livia)

Maurice¹,

Gioanni²,

Abourachid³

2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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'walking', and disappeared in the 'flying' condition. Correlatively, the working range of the OCR (evaluated by its gain at the plateau of SPV) was progressively extended toward higher stimulation velocities.The velocity of the fast phases of the OCR (measured for all the conditions except the 'walking condition') also increased in correlation with the SPV. The walking speed did not influence the OCR in the treadmill velocity range of 0.20-0.40·m·s -1. The presence of a frontal airstream in the 'standing condition' did not change the OCR properties. This fact (and other observations discussed in the paper) suggests that the adaptation of the OCR to the behavioural context is mediated by internal signals generated by each behavioural condition.

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The accessory optic system in pigeons: receptive field properties of identified neurons

Cited by 41 publications

References 15 publications

Visual responses of neurons in the nucleus of the basal optic root to stationary stimuli in pigeons

Visual responses of neurons in the nucleus of the basal optic root to stationary stimuli in pigeons

Possible cues driving context-specific adaptation of optocollic reflex in pigeons (Columba livia)

Influence of the behavioural context on the optocollic reflex (OCR) in pigeons (Columba livia)

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