Running and vision are linked together in a particular brainstem circuitry, says UO biologist Cristopher Niell of the Institute of Neuroscience. Niell and his collaborators detailed the linkage, based on research using mice, in the July 16 issue of the high-profile journal Neuron.

While they can't be sure the same processes work exactly the same in humans, they point out that similar regions have been targeted for therapeutic deep-brain stimulation to treat motor dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Read "Oregon study details brain pathways linking visual function, running."

—By Jim Barlow, Public Affairs Communications