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Plasticity in 3D visuo-vestibular interactions

Principal investigator: Dr. Hans van der Steen

Detection of object motion and selfmotion enable humans to navigate in the world that surrounds us. The brain has elaborate mechanisms to analyze the different sources of sensory information leading to a percept of the 3D world and to generate appropriate motor commands. Peripheral or central neuronal damage leads to abnormal perception and motor control, which needs to be repaired by the brain.

The oculomotor system provides an excellent model to study the involved processes of sensorimotor integration, adaptation and plasticity . Visual and vestibular information provide precisely quantifiable sources of sensory input to the system, whereas motor output is accurately assessed by eye movement recordings. Our main research interests are:

3D vestibulo-ocular reflexes

A  six degrees of freedom motion platform enables us to deliver any combination of rotatory and linear motion. With this device we test visuo-vestibular interactions in 3D space. We use this device to study 3D linear and rotatory vestibular responses in healthy human subjects and in patients with specific canal and/or otolith dysfunction.

Binocular vision and binocular eye movement control

In healthy volunteers and patients  we study binocular control of eye movements, binocular plasticity and perceptuo-motor interactions during binocular vision. In this project we are in particularly interested in the organisation of binocular and monocular pathways in binocular eye movement control and stereovision.

Selected recent publications

  • Houben MMJ, Goumans J, Van der Steen J. (2006) Recording three-dimensional eye movements: scleral search coils versus video-oculography. Invest Ophth Vis Sci. 47:179-187. (pubmed)
  • Houben MMJ, Goumans J, De Jongste AHC, Van der Steen J. (2005) Angular and linear vestibulo-ocular responses in humans. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1039: 68-80.(pubmed)
  • Goumans J, Boumans LJJM, Van der Steen J, Feenstra L. (2005) Superior-canal dehiscence syndrome. [Article in Dutch] Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 149(24):1320-1325. (pubmed)
  • Van der Steen J and Kanai R (2002). Binocular eye movement responses to dichoptically presented horizontal and/or vertical stimulus steps. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 956: 487-491.(pubmed)
  • Van Leeuwen AF, Collewijn H, de Faber JT, Van der Steen J. (2001) Saccadic binocular coordination in alternating exotropia. Vision Res;41(25-26):3425-35. (pubmed)
  • Frens MA, Mathoera AL, Van der Steen J.2001) Floccular complex spike response to transparent retinal slip. Neuron. 30:795-801. (pubmed)
  • Goossens J, Daniel H, Rancillac A, Van der Steen J, Oberdick J, Crepel F, De Zeeuw CI, Frens MA.(2001) Expression of protein kinase C inhibitor blocks cerebellar long-term depression without affecting Purkinje cell excitability in alert mice. J Neurosci. 21:5813-5823.(pubmed)
  • Mathoera AL, Frens MA, Van der Steen J. (1999)Visual-vestibular interaction during transparent optokinetic stimulation in the rabbit. Exp Brain Res. 25:87-96.(pubmed)