XB-LAB-655
Straka Lab
Research Interests
Systems Neurobiology: Sensory motor transformationResearch Area
All vertebrates, whether running, swimming, or flying, are confronted with the effects of their locomotor actions on their ability to perceive the surrounding environment. In order to maintain visual acuity during locomotion, retinal image drift must be counteracted by dynamic compensatory eye and/or head adjustments that derive from vestibulo-ocular, optokinetic, and proprioceptive reflexes. Although considerable information is available on the functional organization of amphibian vestibulo-ocular networks and on the neural substrates of locomotor rhythm generation in the tadpole spinal cord, virtually nothing is known about how these two systems interact during effective behavior. Given the conservative organization of central nervous control systems across species, the capacity for oculo-motor adjustments during locomotion throughout frog development raises a number of general neurobiological questions about neural circuit interaction and plasticity. The transition from tadpole to adult involves a drastic change in body plan including the growth of limbs, the regression of the tail and a consequent anatomical and functional restructuring of sensory and motor circuitry. The amphibian metamorphosis in which morpho-physiological changes accompany an alteration in lifestyle and behavioral repertoire requires a high level of neural plasticity. This plasticity makes frogs and salamanders ideal models to understand the basic computational requirements of sensory processing under different locomotor conditions.Current Members
Straka, Hans
(Principal Investigator/Director)