HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Benson, A. J. Articles by Jones, G. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Benson, A. J. Articles by Jones, G. M.

1. Recent experiments have shown that rotation of a linear acceleration vector round the head can generate involuntary ocular nystagmus in the absence of angular acceleration. The present experiments examine the suggestion that adequate stimulation of the semicircular canals may contribute to this response.

2. Decerebrate cats were located in a stereotaxic device on a platform, slung from four parallel cables, which could be driven smoothly round a circular orbit without inducing significant angular movement of the platform. This Parallel Swing Rotation (PSR) generated a centripetal acceleration of 4·4 m/sec² which rotated round the head at 0·52 rev/sec.

3. The discharge frequency of specifically lateral canal-dependent neural units in the vestibular nuclei of cats was recorded during PSR to right and left, and in the absence of motion. The dynamic responses to purely angular motion were also examined on a servo-driven turntable.

4. Without exception all proven canal-dependent cells examined (twenty-nine cells in nine cats) were more active during PSR in the direction of endolymph circulation assessed to be excitatory to the unit, than during PSR in the opposite direction.

5. The observed changes in discharge frequency are assessed to have been of a magnitude appropriate for the generation of the involuntary oculomotor response induced by the same stimulus in the intact animal.

6. The findings suggest that a linear acceleration vector which rotates in the plane of the lateral semicircular canals can be an adequate stimulus to ampullary receptors, though an explanation which invokes the modulation of canal cells by a signal dependent upon the sequential activation of macular receptors cannot be positively excluded.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. E. Killian and J. F. Baker Horizontal Vestibuloocular Reflex (VOR) Head Velocity Estimation in Purkinje Cell Degeneration (pcd/pcd) Mutant Mice J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2002; 87(2): 1159 - 1164. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]