The Functional Properties of Inhibitory Neurons in the Brainstem Circuit Mediating the Optokinetic Reflex

Reflexes are ideal systems to study how sensory information mediates behavior. For instance, the optokinetic reflex (OKR) is an oculomotor behaviour critical for stable vision. The OKR is driven by the brainstem accessory optic system (AOS), containing neurons encoding the information about the visual field. The AOS neurons are genetically and functionally diverse. However, it remains unknown whether genetically defined AOS populations, such as inhibitory neurons, encode different information in the AOS. By paring in vivo electrophysiology with optogenetic tagging, I studied the spatial frequency and direction selectivity of AOS inhibitory neurons. I found that inhibitory AOS neurons encode lower spatial frequencies and are less direction selective, shedding light on the roles of inhibitory neurons in the OKR.M.Sc