A Dynamical Model for the Vertical Vestibuloocular Reflex and Optokinetic Response in Primate

The vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) in concert with the optokinetic response (OKR) stabilizes vision during head motion. The VOR system characteristics are both compensatory and adaptively self-calibrated. A model was constructed to aid in the understanding of the roles of the cerebellum and other neuronal sites in the performance and adaptation of the vertical VOR. The model structure was based upon the known neuroanatomy, and model parameters were estimated using experimental data. The model can reproduce and predict eye movements and cerebellar Purkinje cell firing patterns during VOR, OKR, and various visual-vestibular mismatch paradigms.