title: Plane-specific Purkinje cell responses to vertical head rotations in the cat cerebellar nodulus and uvula.
abstract: We recorded simple spike (SS) and complex spike (CS) firing of Purkinje cell in the cerebellar nodulus and uvula of awake, head-restrained cats during sinusoidal vertical rotation of the head in four stimulus planes (pitch, roll, and two vertical canal planes). Two SS response types (position- and velocity-types) with response phases close to those of head position and velocity, respectively, were recognized. Optimal response planes and directions for SS and CS of each cell were estimated from the response amplitudes in the four stimulus planes by fitting with a sinusoidal function. The principal findings are as follows: (1) two rostrocaudally oriented functional zones of Purkinje cells can be distinguished; (2) the medially located parasagittal band is active during rotation in the pitch plane; (3) the laterally located band is active during rotation in the roll plane. These two zones are the same as previously reported zones in the cerebellar flocculus active during head rotation in the canal planes in the point that both cerebellar sagittal zones are plane-specific functional zones, suggesting that the anatomical sagittal zones serve as functional plane-specific zones at least in the vestibulocerebellum.
authors.affiliation: Center for Life Science Research, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan; tkitama@yamanashi.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitama
authors.affiliation: Center for Life Science Research, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan;
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Komagata
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Health Science University, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.affiliation: Center for Life Science Research, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan;
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan; and.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation
keywords: Purkinje cell; cat; cerebellar nodulus and uvula; complex spike; eye movements; simple spike; vestibular stimulation