Visual inputs to cerebellar ventral paraflocculus during ocular following responses.
The activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells was recorded in the ventral paraflocculus (VPFL) of alert monkeys during ocular following responses induced by brief movements of the visual scene. The mossy fiber input evoked 'simple-spikes' which increased their activity during either ipsiversive or downward motion of the visual scene. On the other hand, the 'complex-spikes' evoked by the climbing fiber input increased their activity during either contraversive or upward movement. To further define the sources of the visual input to the VPFL, we recorded single units in the dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN), which is known to project to the VPFL as mossy fibers, and in the pretectal nucleus of the optic tract (NOT), which is known to project to the inferior olive whose neurons project to the cerebellum as climbing fibers. In both areas, most neurons were directionally selective, and responded to the moving visual scene with very short latencies (approximately 40-60 ms). These results suggest that both DLPN and NOT neurons deliver information concerning movements of the visual scene to the VPFL through different pathways.
Kawano
K
K
Neuroscience Section, Electrotechnical Laboratory, Ibaraki, Japan.
Takemura
A
A
Inoue
Y
Y
Kitama
T
T
Kobayashi
Y
Y
Mustari
M J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D008251:Macaca; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*