摘要：SummaryExperience-dependent brain circuit plasticity underlies various sensorimotor learning and memory processes. Recently, a novel set-point adaptation mechanism was identified that accounts for the pronounced negative optokinetic afternystagmus (OKAN) following a sustained period of unidirectional optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) in larval zebrafish. To investigate the physiological significance of optokinetic set-point adaptation, animals in the current study were exposed to a direction-alternating optokinetic stimulation paradigm that better resembles their visual experience in nature. Our results reveal that not only was asymmetric alternating stimulation sufficient to induce the set-point adaptation and the resulting negative OKAN, but most strikingly, under symmetric alternating stimulation some animals displayed an inherent bias of the OKN gain in one direction, and that was compensated by the similar set-point adaptation. This finding, supported by mathematical modeling, suggests that set-point adaptation allows animals to cope with asymmetric optokinetic behaviors evoked by either external stimuli or innate oculomotor biases.Graphical abstractDisplay OmittedHighlights•Optokinetic set-point adaptation reflects the temporal integration of visual input•Wild-type zebrafish larvae may display innate optokinetic left-right asymmetries•The degree of the optokinetic asymmetry among larvae is normally distributed•The innate optokinetic asymmetry can be compensated by the set-point adaptationBiological sciences; Neuroscience; Sensory neuroscience
