title: Changes in sensitivity of vestibular nucleus neurons induced by cross-axis adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in the cat.
abstract: In alert, chronically-prepared cats, we studied response characteristics of well-isolated vestibular nucleus neurons (n = 9) while pairing yaw rotation with a pitch optokinetic stimulus, resulting in cross-axis adaptation of the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex. Each neuron's sensitivity to whole body rotation in a variety of axes in three-dimensional space was determined. When tested in darkness following adaptation, neurons showed statistically significant increases in sensitivity to yaw but not vertical plane rotations, suggesting participation in reflex plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Helminski
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Didier
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003623:Dark Adaptation / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012023:Reflex, Monosynaptic / Q000502:physiology; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*