title: Long-Lasting Visuo-Vestibular Mismatch in Freely-Behaving Mice Reduces the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex and Leads to Neural Changes in the Direct Vestibular Pathway.
abstract: Calibration of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) depends on the presence of visual feedback. However, the cellular mechanisms associated with VOR modifications at the level of the brainstem remain largely unknown. A new protocol was designed to expose freely behaving mice to a visuo-vestibular mismatch during a 2-week period. This protocol induced a 50% reduction of the VOR.In vivopharmacological experiments demonstrated that the VOR reduction depends on changes located outside the flocculus/paraflocculus complex. The cellular mechanisms associated with the VOR reduction were then studiedin vitroon brainstem slices through a combination of vestibular afferent stimulation and patch-clamp recordings of central vestibular neurons. The evoked synaptic activity demonstrated that the efficacy of the synapses between vestibular afferents and central vestibular neurons was decreased. In addition, a long-term depression protocol failed to further decrease the synapse efficacy, suggesting that the VOR reduction might have occurred through depression-like mechanisms. Analysis of the intrinsic membrane properties of central vestibular neurons revealed that the synaptic changes were supplemented by a decrease in the spontaneous discharge and excitability of a subpopulation of neurons. Our results provide evidence that a long-lasting visuo-vestibular mismatch leads to changes in synaptic transmission and intrinsic properties of central vestibular neurons in the direct VOR pathway. Overall, these results open new avenues for future studies on visual and vestibular interactions conductedin vivoandin vitro.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurophysics, Physiology, Pathology, CNRS UMR 8119, Université Paris Descartes , Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carcaud
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurophysics, Physiology, Pathology, CNRS UMR 8119, Université Paris Descartes , Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: França de Barros
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurophysics, Physiology, Pathology, CNRS UMR 8119, Université Paris Descartes , Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6916-4631
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Idoux
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurophysics, Physiology, Pathology, CNRS UMR 8119, Université Paris Descartes , Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eugène
authors.affiliation: INRIA Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, Laboratoire Jean Kuntzmann, UMR 5224 , France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reveret
authors.affiliation: Cognition and Action Group, CNRS UMR 8257, Université Paris Descartes , Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Lee E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Cognition and Action Group, CNRS UMR 8257, Université Paris Descartes , Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Pierre-Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurophysics, Physiology, Pathology, CNRS UMR 8119, Université Paris Descartes , Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2722-0532
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beraneck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: VOR; multisensory; neuronal excitability; reflex; synaptic plasticity; vestibular neurons