A general framework for neurobiological modeling: an application to the vestibular system.
The otolith organs in the vestibular system are excellent detectors of linear accelerations. However, any measurement of linear acceleration is ambiguous between a tilt in a gravitational field and an inertial acceleration. Angelaki et al. have put forward a general hypothesis about how inertial accelerations can be computed based on vestibular signals (J. Neurosci. 19 (1999) 316). We have constructed a realistic, detailed model of the relevant systems to test this hypothesis. The model produces useful predictions about what kinds of neurons should be found in the vestibular nucleus if such a computation is actually performed in the vestibular system. The model is constructed using general principles of neurobiological simulation (J. Neurophys. 84 (2000) 2113).
Department of Philosophy, Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont., Canada.
Chris
C
Eliasmith
M B
MB
Westover
C H
CH
Anderson
D000054:Acceleration; D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006112:Gravitation; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009446:Neurobiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000502:physiology*; D014725:Vestibular Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000502:physiology; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*