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Whole-body central processing of lateral line inputs encodes fow direction relative to the center-of-mass.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Whole-body central processing of lateral line inputs encodes fow direction relative to the center-of-mass.
Authors:	Lunsford, Elias T. elias.lunsford@icm-institute.org, Carbo-Tano, Martin, Wyart, Claire claire.wyart@icminstitute.org
Source:	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2/17/2026, Vol. 123 Issue 7, p1-12. 26p.
Subjects:	Neural codes, Locomotor control, Sensorimotor integration, Afferent pathways, Tactile sensors, Brachydanio, Rhombencephalon
Abstract:	From shifting visual scenes to tactile deformations and fuid motion, animals interpret patterns of sensory fow around their body to construct internal models and produce adaptive behavior. Understanding how such transformations are encoded in the brain remains incomplete. To tackle this question, we leverage the lateral line of larval zebrafsh as a tractable system sensitive to fuid motion and used to steer navigation, feed, and avoid predators. By presenting stimuli of either direction to neuromasts along the body, we mapped hindbrain responses via high-resolution calcium imaging. Our fndings challenge the notion that central lateral line processing lacks topographic structure by revealing a simple, yet powerful principle centered on an egocentric spatial framework: the direction and location of local fow motions are encoded in reference to the animal's center-of-mass. Brainstem neurons that encode fow toward the center-of-mass broadly project to form bilateral connections onto reticulospinal neurons that coordinate forward locomotion while those that encode fow away from the center-of-mass displayed a more selective and unilateral projection profle to command neurons eliciting turns. Tis simple representation enables the brain to register complex fow patterns and provides a robust basis for behavioral action selection. Our fnding represents a shift from purely somatotopic encoding toward an integrative representation of axial position and directionality along the horizontal plane combined, revealing a central principle for encoding spatiodirectional cues. Tis study advances our understanding of how complex mechanosensory inputs select appropriate motor outputs via simple egocentric neural maps in the hindbrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Engineering Source

Description
Abstract:	From shifting visual scenes to tactile deformations and fuid motion, animals interpret patterns of sensory fow around their body to construct internal models and produce adaptive behavior. Understanding how such transformations are encoded in the brain remains incomplete. To tackle this question, we leverage the lateral line of larval zebrafsh as a tractable system sensitive to fuid motion and used to steer navigation, feed, and avoid predators. By presenting stimuli of either direction to neuromasts along the body, we mapped hindbrain responses via high-resolution calcium imaging. Our fndings challenge the notion that central lateral line processing lacks topographic structure by revealing a simple, yet powerful principle centered on an egocentric spatial framework: the direction and location of local fow motions are encoded in reference to the animal's center-of-mass. Brainstem neurons that encode fow toward the center-of-mass broadly project to form bilateral connections onto reticulospinal neurons that coordinate forward locomotion while those that encode fow away from the center-of-mass displayed a more selective and unilateral projection profle to command neurons eliciting turns. Tis simple representation enables the brain to register complex fow patterns and provides a robust basis for behavioral action selection. Our fnding represents a shift from purely somatotopic encoding toward an integrative representation of axial position and directionality along the horizontal plane combined, revealing a central principle for encoding spatiodirectional cues. Tis study advances our understanding of how complex mechanosensory inputs select appropriate motor outputs via simple egocentric neural maps in the hindbrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	00278424
DOI:	10.1073/pnas.2515782123