# Gaze recovery during vestibular regeneration

> **NIH NIH R01** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2021 · $480,760

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Gaze stabilization during head motion is a complex behavioral response that is highly dependent
upon a functioning vestibular system. With vestibular loss, patients suffer gaze deficits that make it
difficult to read, drive, or visually focus while moving throughout life. Remarkably, birds demonstrate
complete spontaneous vestibular receptor regeneration following damage, unlike humans. In these
animals, following regeneration, vestibular mediated gaze responses largely recover. However, the
specific eye and head component responses that comprise gaze differ significantly following regeneration,
suggesting that brain plasticity has re-wired the neural correlates that control gaze. In an effort to
understand regenerative brain plasticity, the proposed project will examine the functional recovery of
specific vestibular neural types that underly gaze control in pigeons. In Specific Aim 1, neural recordings
of vestibular afferent responses to motion will be obtained before a vestibular lesion and at four distinct
time points during regeneration of the receptors. As motion signals are regenerated from the receptors,
we will characterize the signals being restored and at what times. Specific Aim 2 will examine the central
vestibular neurons that specifically control the eye and head components of gaze behavior before, during,
and after regeneration. Vestibular neurons that project to spinal cord or oculomotor centers will be
characterized as motion signals are returning and the brain reorganizes gaze control circuits.
Regeneration, gene therapy, and prosthetics are all developing into new technologies that will be used to
treat vestibular loss in humans. Understanding how the brain adapts to these new motion signals will
provide necessary insights to guide new treatment therapies and rehabilitation paradigms.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10155237
- **Project number:** 1R01DC018746-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** J David Dickman
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $480,760
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-12-01 → 2025-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10155237

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10155237, Gaze recovery during vestibular regeneration (1R01DC018746-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10155237. Licensed CC0.

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