Visual capture of the head-direction signal in a rat model of Fragile X Syndrome
- 1The University of Manchester
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a common inherited monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability (ASD/ID), conditions frequently associated with altered sensory processing and multisensory integration. However, the circuit mechanisms underlying these alterations remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the integration of visual and self-motion information in the head-direction (HD) system in a rat model of FXS (Fmr1-/y rats). Using high-density silicon probes, we recorded neuronal activity in the postsubiculum (PoSub), a cortical hub of the HD system, while adult Fmr1-/y and wild-type (WT) rats experienced repeated rotations of a visual landmark. In WT rats, the HD signal only partially followed landmark rotations, consistent with weighted integration of visual and self-motion information, and visual landmark control progressively weakened across repeated cue conflicts. In contrast, the HD signal in Fmr1-/y rats closely followed landmark rotations and failed to show experience-dependent recalibration. This enhanced visual capture was accompanied by reduced angular head velocity tuning in PoSub neurons, indicating weakened representation of self-motion information. Together, these findings reveal an altered balance between visual and self-motion inputs to the HD system in a rat model of FXS and identify a possible circuit-level mechanism through which sensory integration of vision and self-motion may be disrupted in ASD/ID.
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BibTeX
@misc{duszkiewicz2026visual,
title = {{Visual capture of the head-direction signal in a rat model of Fragile X Syndrome}},
author = {A. J. Duszkiewicz and A. A. Rastedt and A. Vadher and E. R. Wood and A. Peyrache and P. A. Dudchenko},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.64898/2026.11.06.764867},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.06.764867v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Visual capture of the head-direction signal in a rat model of Fragile X Syndrome
AU - A. J. Duszkiewicz
AU - A. A. Rastedt
AU - A. Vadher
AU - E. R. Wood
AU - A. Peyrache
AU - P. A. Dudchenko
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.11.06.764867
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.06.764867v1
AB - Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a common inherited monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability (ASD/ID), conditions frequently associated with altered sensory processing and multisensory integration. However, the circuit mechanisms underlying these alterations remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the integration of visual and self-motion information in the head-direction (HD) system in a rat model of FXS (Fmr1-/y rats). Using high-density silicon probes, we recorded neuronal activity in the postsubiculum (PoSub), a cortical hub of the HD system, while adult Fmr1-/y and wild-type (WT) rats experienced repeated rotations of a visual landmark. In WT rats, the HD signal only partially followed landmark rotations, consistent with weighted integration of visual and self-motion information, and visual landmark control progressively weakened across repeated cue conflicts. In contrast, the HD signal in Fmr1-/y rats closely followed landmark rotations and failed to show experience-dependent recalibration. This enhanced visual capture was accompanied by reduced angular head velocity tuning in PoSub neurons, indicating weakened representation of self-motion information. Together, these findings reveal an altered balance between visual and self-motion inputs to the HD system in a rat model of FXS and identify a possible circuit-level mechanism through which sensory integration of vision and self-motion may be disrupted in ASD/ID.
ER -