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Central projections of the utricular nerve in the gerbil
Author(s) -
Newlands Shawn D.,
Purcell Ian M.,
Kevetter Golda Anne,
Perachio Adrian A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.10350
Subject(s) - flocculus , anatomy , vestibular nuclei , vestibular nerve , biotinylated dextran amine , vestibular system , biology , brainstem , neuroscience , gerbil , cerebellum , cuneate nucleus , nucleus , vestibulo–ocular reflex , dorsal column nuclei , medial vestibular nucleus , medicine , ischemia , cardiology
The central projections of primary afferent fibers in the utricular nerve, which convey linear head acceleration signals to neurons in the brainstem and cerebellum, are not completely defined. The purpose of this investigation was twofold: 1) to define the central projections of the gerbil utricular afferents by injecting horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the utricular macula; and 2) to investigate the projections of individual utricular afferents by injecting HRP intracellularly into functionally identified utricular neurons. We found that utricular afferents in the gerbil projected to all divisions of the vestibular nuclear complex, except the dorsal lateral vestibular nucleus. In addition, terminals were observed in the interstitial nucleus of the eighth nerve, nucleus Y, external cuneate nucleus, and lobules I, IV, V, IX, and X of the cerebellar vermis. No projections appeared in the flocculus or paraflocculus. Fibers traversed the medial and intermediate cerebellar nuclei, but terminals appeared only occasionally. Individual utricular afferents collateralize extensively, projecting to much of the brainstem area innervated by the whole of the utricular nerve. This study did not produce complete filling of individual afferent collateral projections into the cerebellar cortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 452:11–23, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.