Vestibular efferent neurons project to the flocculus

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 889; no. 1; pp. 288 - 294
• Main Authors: Shinder, Michael E., Purcell, Ian M., Kaufman, Galen D., Perachio, Adrian A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 19-01-2001
• Subjects: Animals; BDA; Biotin; Cerebellar Nuclei - cytology; Cerebellar Nuclei - physiology; Efferent Pathways - physiology; Female; flocculus; Fluorescent beads; Fluorescent Dyes; Fluorogold; Functional Laterality - physiology; Gerbil; Gerbillinae; Histocytochemistry; Horseradish Peroxidase; HRP; Male; Motor control; Neurons, Efferent - physiology; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular - physiology; Space life sciences; Stilbamidines; Vestibular efferent neurons; Vestibule, Labyrinth - cytology; Vestibule, Labyrinth - physiology; Vestibular efferent neurons; Fluorescent beads; HRP; Fluorogold; Gerbil; Motor control; Motor systems and sensorimotor integration; BDA; NASA Discipline Neuroscience; Non-NASA Center
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-8993(00)03117-6

A bilateral projection from the vestibular efferent neurons, located dorsal to the genu of the facial nerve, to the cerebellar flocculus and ventral paraflocculus was demonstrated. Efferent neurons were double-labeled by the unilateral injections of separate retrograde tracers into the labyrinth and into the floccular and ventral parafloccular lobules. Efferent neurons were found with double retrograde tracer labeling both ipsilateral and contralateral to the sites of injection. No double labeling was found when using a fluorescent tracer with non-fluorescent tracers such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or biotinylated dextran amine (BDA), but large percentages of efferent neurons were found to be double labeled when using two fluorescent substances including: fluorogold, microruby dextran amine, or rhodamine labeled latex beads. These data suggest a potential role for vestibular efferent neurons in modulating the dynamics of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) during normal and adaptive conditions.