UR Faculty: Charles J. Duffy

M.D. , Ph.D. (1984) Johns Hopkins University	Charles J. Duffy Professor of Neurology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Ophthalmology and the Center for Visual Science Primary Appointment: Neurology GEBS Cluster Affiliations: NS - Neuroscience
Research: Functioning of cerebral neocortex, using neurophysiologic and psychophysical methods to examine mechanisms of spatial orientation
Contact Information: E-Mail: cjd@cvs.rochester.edu
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 673 Rochester, New York 14642	Medical Center [room] Phone: (585)273-1696 Fax: (585) [number]

Research Overview

Single neuron recordings from awake monkey cerebral cortex have demonstrated the existence of neurons which are specifically activated during the viewing of optic flow fields. Our ongoing studies combine optic flow visual displays with real translational movement of the monkey using a room-sized, motorized sled. These studies are directed at characterizing the neuronal mechanisms ofself-mevement perception.

Our human psychophysical studies are directed at analyzing the cortical operations involved in optic flow field perception. We are focusing on studies of perceptual involvement in the syndrome of visuospatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Recent Publications

Duffy, C. J. Response of monkey MST neurons to optic flow stimuli during translational self-movement. Journal of Neurophysiology 80:1816-1827 (1998).

Duffy, C. J. Visual loss In Alzheimer's disease: Out of sight, out of mind. Neurology, 52:10-11 (1999).

Page. W. K. and Duffy, C. J. MST neuronal responses to heading direction during pursuit eye movements. Journal of Neurophysiology, 81:596-610 (1999).

Tetewsky, S. J. and Duffy, C. J. Visual loss and getting lost in Alzheimer's disease. Neurology, 52:958-964 (1999).

Lappe, M. and Duffy, C. J. Optic flow illusion and single neuron behavior reconciled by a population model. Euro. Journal of Neuroscience,11: 2323- 2331 (1999).

Duffy,C.J.; Tetewsky,S.J.; O'Brien,H. Cortical motion blindness in visuospatial AD. Neurobiology of Aging, 21: 867-869 (2000).

Duffy,C.J. Optic flow analysis for self-movement perception. International Review of Neurobiology, 44: 199-218 (2000).

Upadhyay, U. D, Page, W. K. and Duffy, C. J. MST responses to pursuit across optic flow with motion parallax. Journal of Neurophysiology, 84 :818-826 (2000).

O'Brien, H. L., Tetewsky, S. J., Avery, L. M., Cushman, L. A., Makous, W., and Duffy, C. J. Visual mechanisms of spatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease. Cerebral Cortex, 11:1083-1092 (2001).

Froehler, M. T. and Duffy, C. J. Cortical neurons encoding path and place: Where you go Is where you are. Science, 295: 2462-2465 (2002).

Mapstone,M.; Steffenella,T.M.; and Duffy,C.J. A visuospatial variant of mild cognititve impairment: Getting lost between aging and AD. Neurology, 60: 802-808 (2003)

Page, W.K. ; Duffy, C.J. Heading representation in MST: Sensory interactions and population encoding. Journal of Neurophysiology, 89 (4): 1994-2013, 2003.

Ben Hamed, S.; Page, W.K.; Duffy, C.J.; Pouget, A. MSTd neuronal basis functions for the population encoding of heading direction. Journal of Neurophysiology, in print, 2003.

Kavcic,V.; and Duffy,C.J. Attentional dynamics and visual perception: Mechanisms of spatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease. Brain, 126: 1173 (2003).

Duffy,C.J. Pursuit neurons ecode 3D space: Is the cortex nervous and tensor? Trends in Neurosciences, 26 (5): 237-240 (2003).

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