1. Mechanisms Underlying the Neural Computation of Head Direction
- Author
-
Vivek Jayaraman and Brad K. Hulse
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Computer science ,Head (linguistics) ,Sense of direction ,Models, Neurological ,Action Potentials ,Angular velocity ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Models of neural computation ,Orientation ,Path integration ,Animals ,Humans ,Computer vision ,Head direction cells ,Neurons ,business.industry ,General Neuroscience ,Sense (electronics) ,030104 developmental biology ,Space Perception ,Artificial intelligence ,business ,Head ,Neuroscience ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Many animals use an internal sense of direction to guide their movements through the world. Neurons selective to head direction are thought to support this directional sense and have been found in a diverse range of species, from insects to primates, highlighting their evolutionary importance. Across species, most head-direction networks share four key properties: a unique representation of direction at all times, persistent activity in the absence of movement, integration of angular velocity to update the representation, and the use of directional cues to correct drift. The dynamics of theorized network structures called ring attractors elegantly account for these properties, but their relationship to brain circuits is unclear. Here, we review experiments in rodents and flies that offer insights into potential neural implementations of ring attractor networks. We suggest that a theory-guided search across model systems for biological mechanisms that enable such dynamics would uncover general principles underlying head-direction circuit function.
- Published
- 2020