Premium
Otolith Processing in the Deep Cerebellar Nuclei
Author(s) -
BÜTTNER U.,
GLASAUER S.,
GLONTI L.,
KLEINE J. F.,
SIEBOLD C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb09177.x
Subject(s) - otolith , vestibular system , orientation (vector space) , vestibular nuclei , head (geology) , physics , neuroscience , fastigial nucleus , semicircular canal , anatomy , stimulation , geodesy , biology , geology , mathematics , geometry , paleontology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
A bstract : To investigate the otolith contribution to the responses of “vestibular only” neurons in the rostral fastigial nucleus (FN), single‐unit activity was recorded in the alert monkey with the head fixed during static and dynamic stimulation (± 15 deg, 0.06‐1.4 Hz) around an earth‐fixed horizontal axis. Head orientation could be altered allowing for roll, pitch, and intermediate planes of orientation. For the vast majority of neurons a response vector orientation (RVO) with an optimal response and a null‐response at a head orientation 90 deg apart could be determined. Presumably more than 30% of the vestibular only neurons had an otolith input, as indicated by responses to static tilt, head‐position‐related activity, large phase changes (> 100 deg) of neuronal activity between 0.06 and 1.4 Hz, changes of the RVO at different frequencies and complex responses (spatio‐temporal convergence). Thus, neurons in FN reflecting an otolith or a combined canal‐otolith input are much more common than up to now thought. Vestibular‐only neurons are most likely involved in vestibulospinal mechanisms. Their precise functional role has yet to be determined.