Sensory Determinants of Head Direction Cell Activity

Other portions of this volume provide a description of the fundamental properties of Head Direction (HD) cells and the brain structures that are important in processing this directional coding (see the Preface and Chapter 9). This chapter focuses on the types of sensory information that affect HD cell activity. We first consider how cues external to the body can affect HD cell discharge and then discuss the efficacy of cues derived from the body’s movements (i.e., those involved in path integration; see Chapter 9). We then discuss experiments that have examined how HD cells respond when these two types of information come in conflict with one another. Because many animals function in a three-dimensional environment, we’ll also describe studies that have examined HD cell activity when the animal is in different earth-centered planes. Finally, we conclude by discussing experiments that have explored the development of cue control and spatial orientation as it relates to HD cells.