title: Gravity orientation tuning in macaque anterior thalamus.
abstract: Gravity may provide a ubiquitous allocentric reference to the brain's spatial orientation circuits. Here we describe neurons in the macaque anterior thalamus tuned to pitch and roll orientation relative to gravity, independently of visual landmarks. We show that individual cells exhibit two-dimensional tuning curves, with peak firing rates at a preferred vertical orientation. These results identify a thalamic pathway for gravity cues to influence perception, action and spatial cognition.
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: Jean
authors: 0000-0002-9101-2802
authors: J
authors: Laurens
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: Byounghoon
authors: B
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: J David
authors: JD
authors: Dickman
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: Dora E
authors: DE
authors: Angelaki
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D020643:Anterior Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006112:Gravitation; D008251:Macaca; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*