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Neural Computations Underlying Cancellation of the Vestibular Consequences of Voluntary Movement

Award Number: R01DC018061
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2029

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Neural Computations Underlying Cancellation of the Vestibular Consequences of Voluntary Movement - Project Summary: This research program is motivated by three goals. First, we will establish the cerebellar mechanisms that underlie the brain's ability to estimate and cancel self-generated vestibular (inner ear balance) input during active movement Second, we will determine how the cerebellum encodes changes in the relationship between expected and actual sensory input when these predictions are learned, adapted, and flexibly implemented. Third, we will assess how cerebellum-mediated vestibular reafference suppression generalizes to another natural self-motion behavior, namely standing balance and its adaptation. The brain's ability to distinguish sensory stimuli that are the result of self-generated (Le., active) versus unexpected or externally generated (i.e., passive) stimulation is vital to ensuring perceptual stability and accurate motor control. Notably, in the vestibular system, the same central neurons that receive afferent input also send direct projections to motor centers to control posture via vestibular-spinal reflexes. These are essential for providing robust postural responses to unexpected vestibular stimuli yet counter-productive when the goal is to make active head movements. Accordingly, it is advantageous to suppress this pathway during active self-motion. Over the past two decades, we have made excellent progress toward identifying how the brain makes the distinction between active and passive vestibular signals - vestibular reafference vs. exafference, respectively. While vestibular afferents responses remain robust (and equivalent) regardless of whether stimulation is active or passive, neural responses at the next stage of processing in the vestibular nuclei are significantly attenuated during active stimulation. Further, this selective suppression of vestibular reafference only occurs when sensory feedback matches that expected based on motor command (e.g., during active movements). During the current grant period, we established that the cerebellum integrates sensory and motor inputs to make the required distinction between reafference and exafference. In the proposed research, we will address several fundamental questions that remain open. First, Aim 1 will establish how the cerebellum learns to interpret active motion as self-generated when the relationship between the actual and expected sensory feedback is altered. Aim 2 will determine how the vestibular cerebellum computes the expected consequences of self-motion when predictions must adapt to changes in the statistics of sensory feedback and/or be flexibly implemented across contexts. Finally, in Aim 3 we will determine whether and how cerebellum-mediated vestibular reafference suppression generalizes to another natural self-motion behavior: standing balance and its adaptation to perturbations. Combined, these studies will (1) advance our understanding of how the cerebellum computes the expected consequences of self-motion in everyday life when predictions are learned, adapted, and flexibly implemented, and (2) establish how the mechanisms underlying reafference suppression ensure postural stability.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $566,594 )
2026	2026	THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	7	12/18/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$566,594
														Subtotal = $566,594

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $638,654 )
2025	2025	THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	6	12/27/2024	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$638,654
2025	2023	THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	11/7/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $638,654

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $532,209 )
2023	2023	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	6/27/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$532,209
														Subtotal = $532,209

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $532,209 )
2022	2022	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	4	7/19/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$532,209
														Subtotal = $532,209

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $561,858 )
2021	2021	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	6/18/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$561,858
														Subtotal = $561,858

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $560,325 )
2020	2020	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	6/10/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$560,325
														Subtotal = $560,325

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $576,591 )
2019	2019	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	6/26/2019	NEW	$576,591
														Subtotal = $576,591

Grand Total All Awards = $3,968,440

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Neural Computations Underlying Cancellation of the Vestibular Consequences of Voluntary Movement

Award Number: R01DC018061

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2029

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