Summary
In alert Rhesus monkeys neuronal activity in the vestibular nuclei was measured during horizontal angular acceleration in darkness, acceleration of an optokinetic stimulus, and combined visual-vestibular stimulation. The working ranges for visual input velocity and acceleration extend up to 60 °/s and 5 °/s2. The corresponding working range for vestibular input acceleration is wider and time-dependent. During combined stimulation, that is acceleration of the monkey in the light, a linear relation between neuronal activity and velocity could be established for all neurons. Type I vestibular plus eye movement neurons displayed the greatest sensitivity and had a small linear range of operation. Other vestibular neurons were less sensitive but had a larger range of linear response to different values of acceleration. Accelerating the animal and visual surround, simultaneously but in opposite directions, results in neuronal activity proportional to relative velocity over a limited range.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Allum, J.H.J., Graf, W., Dichgans, J., Schmidt, C.L.: Visual-vestibular interactions in the vestibular nuclei of the Goldfish. Exp. Brain Res. 26, 463–485 (1976)
Azzena, G.B., Azzena, M.T., Marini, R.: Optokinetic nystagmus and the vestibular nuclei. Exp. Neurol. 42, 158–168 (1974)
Buettner, U.W., Büttner, U., Henn, V.: Vestibular nuclei activity in the alert monkey during sinusoidal rotation in the dark. J. Neurophysiol. 41, 1614–1628 (1978)
Cohen, B., Matsuo, V., Raphan, Th.: Quantitative analysis of the velocity characteristics of optokinetic nystagmus and optokinetic after-nystagmus. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 270, 321–344 (1977)
Dichgans, J., Brandt, Th.: Visual-vestibular interaction and motion perception. In: Cerebral control of eye movements and motion perception. Dichgans, J., Bizzi, E. (eds.), pp. 327–338. Basel, New York: Karger 1972
Dichgans, J., Schmidt, C.L., Graf, W.: Visual input improves the speedometer function of the vestibular nuclei in the Goldfish. Exp. Brain Res. 18, 319–322 (1973)
Duensing, F., Schaefer, K.P.: Die Aktivität einzelner Neurone im Bereich der Vestibulariskerne bei Horizontalbeschleunigungen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des vestibulären Nystagmus. Arch. Psychiatr. Nervenkr. 198, 224–252 (1958)
Fuchs, A.F., Kimm, J.: Unit activity in vestibular nucleus of the alert monkey during horizontal angular accelerations and eye movements. J. Neurophysiol. 38, 1140–1161 (1975)
Henn, V., Young, L.R., Finley, C.: Vestibular nucleus units in alert monkeys are also influenced by moving visual fields. Brain Res. 71, 144–149 (1974)
Keller, E.L., Daniels, P.D.: Oculomotor related interaction of vestibular and visual stimulation in vestibular nucleus cells in alert monkey. Exp. Neurol. 46, 187–198 (1975)
Keller, E.L., Precht, W.: Persistence of visual response in vestibular nucleus neurons in cerebellectomized cat. Exp. Brain Res. 32, 591–594 (1978)
Miles, F.A.: Single unit firing patterns in the vestibular nuclei related to voluntary eye movements and passive body rotation in conscious monkeys. Brain Res. 71, 215–224 (1974)
Raphan, Th., Cohen, B., Matsuo, V.: A velocity storage mechanism responsible for optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), optokinetic after-nystagmus (OKAN), and vestibular nystagmus. In: Control of gaze by brain stem neurons. Baker, R., Berthoz, A. (eds.), pp. 37–47. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1977
Robinson, D.A.: Linear addition of optokinetic and vestibular signals in the vestibular nucleus. Exp. Brain Res. 30, 447–450 (1977)
Rubin, A.M., Liedgren, S.R., Milne, A.C., Young, J.A., Fredrickson, J.M.: Vestibular and somatosensory interaction in the cat vestibular nuclei. Pflügers Arch. 371, 155–160 (1977)
Shimazu, H., Precht, W.J.: Tonic and kinetic responses of cats vestibular neurons to horizontal angular acceleration. J. Neurophysiol. 28, 991–1013 (1965)
Shinoda, Y., Yoshida, K.: Dynamic characteristics of responses to horizontal head angular acceleration in vestibuloocular pathway in the cat. J. Neurophysiol. 37, 653–673 (1974)
Waespe, W., Henn, V.: Neuronal activity in the vestibular nuclei of the alert monkey during vestibular and optokinetic stimulation. Exp. Brain Res. 27, 523–538 (1977a)
Waespe, W., Henn, V.: Vestibular nuclei activity during optokinetic after-nystagmus (OKAN) in the alert monkey. Exp. Brain Res. 30, 323–330 (1977b)
Waespe, W., Henn, V.: Conflicting visual-vestibular stimulation and vestibular nucleus activity in alert monkeys. Exp. Brain Res. 33, 203–211 (1978)
Waespe, W., Henn, V.: Motion information in the vestibular nuclei of alert monkeys: Visual and vestibular input versus optomotor output. In: Reflex control of posture and movements. Pompeiano, O. (ed.). Progr. Brain Res. 50 (in press) (1979)
Waespe, W., Henn, V., Miles, T.S.: Acitivity in the vestibular nuclei of the alert monkey during spontaneous eyes movements and vestibular or optokinetic stimulation. In: Control of gaze by brain stem neurons. Baker, R., Berthoz, A. (eds.), pp. 269–278. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1977
Young, L.R.: On visual vestibular interaction. NASA 5th Symp. on the role of the vestibular organs in space exploration. NASA-SP 314, 205–210 (1970)
Zaccharias, G. L., Young, L. R.: Manual control of yaw motion with combined visual and vestibular cues. IEEE Trans. Systems, Man and Cybernetic (in press)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by a grant from the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research 3.672-0.77
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Waespe, W., Henn, V. The velocity response of vestibular nucleus neurons during vestibular, visual, and combined angular acceleration. Exp Brain Res 37, 337–347 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237718
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237718