Sensorimotor Integration of Vestibular, Visual and Locomotor Information: Healthy and Pathological Mechanisms (A08*)

• Subject Area: Experimental and Theoretical Network Neuroscience ; Experimental Models for the Understanding of Nervous System Diseases ; Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 528760423

Autonomous movement and spatial orientation rely on vestibular hair cells (VHCs) and visual input to monitor self-motion. Vestibular disorders, often caused by VHC dysfunction or loss due to aging or genetic factors, lead to balance problems and increased risks of accidents. However, neural processing of vestibular information and its defects remain poorly understood due to technical limitations. Recent advances in behavioral tracking and calcium imaging now allow exploration of vestibular integration in freely moving animals. We will clarify how vestibular and visual information are integrated in the brain to support motor control and how aging and synaptopathy affect this, potentially guiding targeted therapies.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1690: Disease Mechanisms and Functional Restoration of Sensory and Motor Systems
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Heads: Dr. Oliver Barnstedt; Dr. Anne Petzold