Spatial Orientation
Previously: sensorimotor adaptation & vestibular pathologies team
Our team works in the field of multisensory processing and sensorimotor transformations underlying balance and 3D orientation. We address questions on spatial orientation, a system-level topic, by studying its underlying functional and structural determinants in animal models, as well as by analyzing human behavior on earth and in space. We rely on a wide range of experimental approaches, using both animal and humans, and we carefully tie together these different levels of investigation in an overreaching framework. This multi-layered approach and combination of expertise dedicated to functional studies constitute the team singularity at both the national and international level.
Basic understanding gained in experiments performed both on ground and in weightlessness will be applied to better diagnose and treat diseases, and conversely, pathological dysfunction may allow new insight into healthy brain function.
Our work is supported by the French spatial agency (CNES), ANR, CNRS & Université Paris Descartes.
We welcome students or collaborators who share our goals and enthusiasm for the following themes of research:
Research Themes
- Multisensory integration, Orientation and Spatial Perception
- Visuo-haptic integration and spatial perception.
- Visuo-vestibular interactions for spatial orientation.
- Influence of gravity on multisensory integration: weightlessness and hypergravity experiments.
- Cortical and subcortical circuits for spatial orientation
Theme 2: Dissecting the functional connectivity in the head direction system. A, afferent and projection specific labeling in the presubiculum. B, patch clamp recording, light evoked synaptic current (left) and action potentials (right). (From LW Huang, M2 thesis.)
- Role of inhibition in the thalamo-presubicular processing of head direction signals.
- head direction circuit architecture and specific role of neuronal subpopulations.
- visuo-vestibular and spino-vestibular interactions; circuits and processing.
- vestibular, oculomotor & motor pathologies
- Motor control for manual dexterity in humans & animal models
- Cellular determinants of vestibular compensation & motion sickness.
- Mouse model of Myelin-related deficits & idiopathic nystagmus.
Collaborations
- INRIA Rhônes-Alpes (Grenoble; France).
- French and European space agencies.
- Tecnalia Health Technologies (San Sebastian; Spain).
- Bordeaux University (France)
- University at Buffalo (Buffalo; US).
Open for submissions!
- Frontiers Research Topic: “Coding for Spatial Orientation in Humans and Animals: Behavior, Circuits and Neurons”. Guest Associate Editors: Desdemona Fricker, Mathieu Beraneck, Michele Tagliabue and Kate Jeffery
Team leaders
- Mathieu BERANECK, CNRS researcher, CR-CNRS, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesmathieu.beraneck@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 33 86, room H468
- Desdemona FRICKER, CNRS researcher, CR-CNRS, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesdesdemona.fricker@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 33 86, room H470
Members
- Filipa BARROS, PhD student, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesfilipa.barros@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 40 48, room H473
- Jules BERNARD-ESPINA, Master Student, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesjules.bernard@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-etu.parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 40 48, room H473
- David DUBAYLE, Associate professor, MCU Paris Descartes, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesdavid.dubayle@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 22 82, room H332
- David MALINVAUD, Associate professor, MCU-PH Paris Descartes, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesdavid.malinvaud@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-egp.aphp.fr, room H468
- Joe MCINTYRE, Research director, DR-CNRS, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesjoe.mcintyre@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 33 86, room H468
- Louis RICHEVAUX, Doctoral student, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologieslouis.richevaux@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 33 86, room H486
- Louise SCHENBERG, Doctoral student, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologieslouise.schenberg@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-etu.parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 40 48, room H473
- François SIMON, PhD student, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesfrancois.simon@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 40 48, room H473
- Michele TAGLIABUE, Paris Descartes Research Engineer, Sensorimotor Adaptations and Vestibular Pathologiesmichele.tagliabue@-Code to remove to avoid SPAM-parisdescartes.fr, +33 1 42 86 33 15, room H468
Future member (2019)
[alumni firstname=“Marc” name=“Maier” text=“PR Univ Paris Diderot,team leader of Manual dexterity in health and disease
marc.maier@parisdescartes.fr, 01 42 86 43 70, room H470” picture=“https://neurophys.biomedicale.parisdescartes.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/MarcMaier.jpg”]
Former members
See the list of former members
Recent Publications
2018 :
2017 :
2016 :
2015 :
2014 :
2013 :
2012 :
2011 :
Books, chapters and patents
Keywords :
- Spatial orientation; Head direction; Microgravity; Gaze and posture stabilization; Optimal control; Functional connectivity;
- Multisensory; Visual; Vestibular; Proprioception; Behaviour; Sensorimotor; Reflexes
- Presubiculum; Postsubiculum; Brainstem; Neurons; Interneurons; Excitability; Synaptic; Intrinsic; Plasticity
- Virtual reality; Electrophysiology; Patch-Clamp; Immuno-histochemistry; Tracing; Neuronal morphology; Modelization
Coding for Spatial Orientation in Humans and Animals: Behavior, Circuits and Neurons