ANTERIOR BRAINSTEM AND SCIATIC NERVE CONNECTIONS TO VESTIBULAR NUCLEI IN CAT
- 1 July 1961
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physiological Society in Journal of Neurophysiology
- Vol. 24 (4), 350-363
- https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1961.24.4.350
Abstract
The relationship between the anterior brainstem and vestibular nuclei in the cat were investigated with electrophysiologic techniques. Electric stimulation of a locus either in the midbrain reticular formation just ventral to the central gray, or the adjacent median longitudinal fasciculus and other midline structures, such as the third nerve nucleus, resulted in maximal action potentials in the vestibular nuclei. Unilateral midbrain stimulation evoked bilateral vestibular responses. Stimulation of midline thalamic nuclei or the hypothalamic region evoked no potentials in the vestibular nuclei. The recorded action potentials usually consisted of one or two short latency, short duration waves followed immediately by a third wave which was of considerably longer duration. The first spike was quite resistant to anesthesia and anoxia, while the second wave was less resistant. The slowest, or third wave, quickly diminished in amplitude, even with relatively low frequency of stimulation. It was quite sensitive to anesthesia. The characteristics of these potentials suggest that both direct axonal and polysynaptic pathways exist between the midbrain and the vestibular nuclei. Unilateral stimulation of the sciatic nerve evoked a bilateral response in the vestibular nuclei. The usual response was a negative wave. Its properties were somewhat similar to the response recorded in the reticular formation upon sciatic nerve stimulation. The vestibular potentials interacted with those produced upon midbrain stimulation suggesting a common neuronal pool.Keywords
This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
- Descending connections to the vestibular nuclei. An experimental study in the catJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1957
- Spino‐vestibular fibers in the cat. An experimental studyJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1957
- FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF DESCENDING VESTIBULAR INFLUENCESJournal of Neurophysiology, 1957
- CORTICIFUGAL INFLUENCES ON INTRINSIC BRAINSTEM CONDUCTION IN CAT AND MONKEYJournal of Neurophysiology, 1957
- AN EXTRALEMNISCAL SENSORY SYSTEM IN THE BRAINArchives of Neurology & Psychiatry, 1953
- Vestibular Connections of the Brain StemAmerican Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 1952
- THE VESTIBULAR NUCLEI AS AN EXCITATORY MECHANISM FOR THE CORDJournal of Neurophysiology, 1947
- EFFECTS OF STIMULATION AND LESION OF THE MEDIAN LONGITUDINAL FASCICULUS IN THE MONKEYArchives of Neurology & Psychiatry, 1944
- Effects of lesions of the medial vestibular nucleus. An anatomical physiological study in macacus rhesus monkeysJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1940
- THE INFLUENCE OF UNILATERAL DESTRUCTION OF THE VESTIBULAR NUCLEI UPON POSTURE AND THE KNEE-JERKBrain, 1930