THE ACTIVITY OF AFFERENT NERVE FIBERS FROM THE VESTIBULAR ORGAN AND OF NEURONS IN THE VESTIBULAR NUCLEI OF UNANESTHETIZED PRIMATES.
Abstract
The activity in afferent fibers entering the brain stem from the vestibular organs shows that the frequency of nerve impulses reflects with extraordinary precision the magnitude of the shearing force acting on one of the sensory surfaces in the vestibular organ which respond to gravitational forces (i.e.: the maculae utriculi and sacculi). On the other hand, the neurons of the vestibular nuclei receive convergent neural input from several of these sensory surfaces, both ipsi - and contralateral to the recording site. In awake animal preparations, the discharge frequency of individual neurons undergoes large periodic fluctuations which are correlated with eye movements. These periodic fluctuations are absent in anesthetized preparations, or after surgical removal of the cerebellum. Contrary to current views, this new data attribute to the vestibular nuclei the role of a central synapse in a motor reflex pathway, rather than that of sensory relay nuclei. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0667572
Entities
People
- Barry L. Whitsel
- Gerhard Werner
Organizations
- University of Pittsburgh