Publications by authors named "Veronica Choi"

We stabilize the dynamic visual world on our retina by moving our eyes in response to motion signals. Coordinated movements between the two eyes are characterized as version when both eyes move in the same direction and vergence when the two eyes move in opposite directions. Vergence eye movements are necessary to track objects in three dimensions.

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Stereopsis is a ubiquitous feature of primate mammalian vision, but little is known about if and how rodents such as mice use stereoscopic vision. We used random dot stereograms to test for stereopsis in male and female mice, and they were able to discriminate near from far surfaces over a range of disparities, with diminishing performance for small and large binocular disparities. Based on two-photon measurements of disparity tuning, the range of disparities represented in the visual cortex aligns with the behavior and covers a broad range of disparities.

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A central transformation that occurs within mammalian visual cortex is the change from linear, polarity-sensitive responses to nonlinear, polarity-insensitive responses. These neurons are classically labelled as either simple or complex, respectively, on the basis of their response linearity (Skottun et al., 1991).

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  • The calvaria, or upper part of the skull, develops from mesenchyme around the brain, with specific regions (like supra-orbital mesenchyme) promoting bone growth while others (early migrating mesenchyme) do not.
  • Researchers discovered Lmx1b, a gene that acts as an anti-osteogenic factor in early migrating mesenchyme, helping to differentiate areas with varying capacities for bone development.
  • Altering the expression of Lmx1b can lead to abnormal bone growth and conditions like craniosynostosis, highlighting its crucial role in the proper formation and organization of the skull.
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  • LDB1 is crucial for craniofacial development, specifically in forming the secondary palate, as shown in tissue-specific mutant mouse models.
  • Mutant embryos with LDB1 deletion exhibited cleft palates and abnormal palatal shelf morphology due to defective elevation above the tongue and altered cell proliferation.
  • The study highlights the role of LDB1 in regulating key developmental genes like Wnt5a, Pax9, and Osr2 necessary for normal palate morphogenesis.
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Tinnitus, the perception of phantom sound, is often a debilitating condition that affects many millions of people. Little is known, however, about the molecules that participate in the induction of tinnitus. In brain slices containing the dorsal cochlear nucleus, we reveal a tinnitus-specific increase in the spontaneous firing rate of principal neurons (hyperactivity).

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