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Localized and Long-Lasting Adaptation in Dragonfly Target-Detecting Neurons

Schwarz, Matthew B. LU ; O’carroll, David C. LU ; Evans, Bernard J.E. LU ; Fabian, Joseph M. LU and Wiederman, Steven D. LU (2024) In eNeuro 11(9).
Abstract

Some visual neurons in the dragonfly (Hemicordulia tau) optic lobe respond to small, moving targets, likely underlying their fast pursuit of prey and conspecifics. In response to repetitive targets presented at short intervals, the spiking activity of these “small target motion detector” (STMD) neurons diminishes over time. Previous experiments limited this adaptation by including intertrial rest periods of varying durations. However, the characteristics of this effect have never been quantified. Here, using extracellular recording techniques lasting for several hours, we quantified both the spatial and temporal properties of STMD adaptation. We found that the time course of adaptation was variable across STMD units. In any one STMD, a... (More)

Some visual neurons in the dragonfly (Hemicordulia tau) optic lobe respond to small, moving targets, likely underlying their fast pursuit of prey and conspecifics. In response to repetitive targets presented at short intervals, the spiking activity of these “small target motion detector” (STMD) neurons diminishes over time. Previous experiments limited this adaptation by including intertrial rest periods of varying durations. However, the characteristics of this effect have never been quantified. Here, using extracellular recording techniques lasting for several hours, we quantified both the spatial and temporal properties of STMD adaptation. We found that the time course of adaptation was variable across STMD units. In any one STMD, a repeated series led to more rapid adaptation, a minor accumulative effect more akin to habituation. Following an adapting stimulus, responses recovered quickly, though the rate of recovery decreased nonlinearly over time. We found that the region of adaptation is highly localized, with targets displaced by ∼2.5° eliciting a naive response. Higher frequencies of target stimulation converged to lower levels of sustained response activity. We determined that adaptation itself is a target-tuned property, not elicited by moving bars or luminance flicker. As STMD adaptation is a localized phenomenon, dependent on recent history, it is likely to play an important role in closed-loop behavior where a target is foveated in a localized region for extended periods of the pursuit duration.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
adaptation, dragonfly, small target motion detection neurons
in
eNeuro
volume
11
issue
9
article number
ENEURO.0036-24.2024
publisher
Society for Neuroscience
external identifiers
  • pmid:39256041
  • scopus:85204661139
ISSN
2373-2822
DOI
10.1523/ENEURO.0036-24.2024
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e59a268c-2e84-495d-8147-bfa9ac95c9b0
date added to LUP
2024-11-19 11:38:26
date last changed
2025-07-02 06:47:35
@article{e59a268c-2e84-495d-8147-bfa9ac95c9b0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Some visual neurons in the dragonfly (Hemicordulia tau) optic lobe respond to small, moving targets, likely underlying their fast pursuit of prey and conspecifics. In response to repetitive targets presented at short intervals, the spiking activity of these “small target motion detector” (STMD) neurons diminishes over time. Previous experiments limited this adaptation by including intertrial rest periods of varying durations. However, the characteristics of this effect have never been quantified. Here, using extracellular recording techniques lasting for several hours, we quantified both the spatial and temporal properties of STMD adaptation. We found that the time course of adaptation was variable across STMD units. In any one STMD, a repeated series led to more rapid adaptation, a minor accumulative effect more akin to habituation. Following an adapting stimulus, responses recovered quickly, though the rate of recovery decreased nonlinearly over time. We found that the region of adaptation is highly localized, with targets displaced by ∼2.5° eliciting a naive response. Higher frequencies of target stimulation converged to lower levels of sustained response activity. We determined that adaptation itself is a target-tuned property, not elicited by moving bars or luminance flicker. As STMD adaptation is a localized phenomenon, dependent on recent history, it is likely to play an important role in closed-loop behavior where a target is foveated in a localized region for extended periods of the pursuit duration.</p>}},
  author       = {{Schwarz, Matthew B. and O’carroll, David C. and Evans, Bernard J.E. and Fabian, Joseph M. and Wiederman, Steven D.}},
  issn         = {{2373-2822}},
  keywords     = {{adaptation; dragonfly; small target motion detection neurons}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{Society for Neuroscience}},
  series       = {{eNeuro}},
  title        = {{Localized and Long-Lasting Adaptation in Dragonfly Target-Detecting Neurons}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0036-24.2024}},
  doi          = {{10.1523/ENEURO.0036-24.2024}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}