Responses of Single Cells within the Cat Medulla During Prolonged Constant Angular Acceleration.

Abstract

Single-cell discharges from within the vestibular nuclei were recorded during constant angular accelerations of up to 5-min duration and during sinusoidal angular acceleration. The forms of discharge patterns are described and emphasis is placed on analyses of adaptation to long-term constant stimuli. The great majority of the units will show a discharge increase and then a decline during the first 45 sec of acceleration. Results from longer accelerations, however, lead to the conclusion that a simple model based on a slightly underdamped cupular mechanism does not conform to the responses and neither does an adaptation explanation. It is speculated that a substantial processing of the sensory input takes place at the level of the second-order neuron and what is often seen in these recordings are functions more closely correlated with various response requirements than with one-to-one events at the sense organ. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1971
Accession Number
AD0724628

Entities

People

  • George H. Crampton
  • Kenneth J. Gall

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anatomy
  • Angular Acceleration
  • Biological Sciences
  • Brain
  • Motion
  • Sense Organs

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Neuroscience