Some Reflexions on the Relations between the Reticular Formation and the Vestibular Nuclei

1972 ◽  
pp. 639-641
Author(s):  
A. Brodal
1975 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1421-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. W. Peterson ◽  
C. Abzug

In one series of experiments, vestibular neurons that could be activated antidromically by stimulation of the contralateral medial reticular formation were studied with extracellular recording in cats under pentobarbital anesthesia. These neurons were found in all of the four main vestibular nuclei, but were less prevalent in dorsal Deiters' nucleus and in the central region of the superior vestibular nucleus than elsewhere. Regions of the pontine and medullary reticular formation from which neurons in different vestibular nuclei were activated corresponded to the pattern of vestibuloreticular projections described by neuroanatomists. 2. Latencies of antidromic responses to stimulation of the contralateral reticular formation ranged from 0.6 to over 3 ms, indicating a relatively slow transfer of activity from vestibular nuclei to reticular formation.


1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 2597-2611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Izawa ◽  
Y. Sugiuchi ◽  
Y. Shinoda

Neural organization from the superior colliculus to motoneurons in the horizontal oculomotor system of the cat. The neural organization of the superior colliculus (SC) projection to horizontal ocular motoneurons was analyzed in anesthetized cats using intracellular recording and transneuronal labeling. Intracellular responses to SC stimulation were analyzed in lateral rectus (LR) and medial rectus (MR) motoneurons and internuclear neurons in the abducens nucleus (AINs). LR motoneurons and AINs received excitation from the contralateral SC and inhibition from the ipsilateral SC. The shortest excitation (0.9–1.9 ms) and inhibition (1.4–2.4 ms) were mainly disynaptic from the SC and were followed by tri- and polysynaptic responses evoked with increasing stimuli or intensity. All MR motoneurons received excitation from the ipsilateral SC, whereas none of them received any short-latency inhibition from the contralateral SC, but some received excitation. The latency of the ipsilateral excitation in MR motoneurons (1.7–2.8 ms) suggested that this excitation was trisynaptic via contralateral AINs, because conditioning SC stimulation spatially facilitated trisynaptic excitation from the ipsilateral vestibular nerve. To locate interneurons mediating the disynaptic SC inputs to LR motoneurons, last-order premotor neurons were labeled transneuronally after injecting wheat germ agglutinin–conjugated horseradish peroxidase into the abducens nerve, and tectoreticular axon terminals were labeled after injecting dextran-biotin into the ipsilateral or contralateral SC in the same preparations. Transneuronally labeled neurons were mainly distributed ipsilaterally in the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF) rostral to retrogradely labeled LR motoneurons and the vestibular nuclei, and contralaterally in the paramedian pontomedullary reticular formation (PPMRF) caudomedial to the abducens nucleus and the vestibular nuclei. Among the last-order premotor neuron areas, orthogradely labeled tectoreticular axon terminals were observed only in the PPRF and the PPMRF contralateral to the injected SC and seemed to make direct contacts with many of the labeled last-order premotor neurons in the PPRF and the PPMRF. These morphological results confirmed that the main excitatory and inhibitory connections from the SC to LR motoneurons are disynaptic and that the PPRF neurons that receive tectoreticular axon terminals from the contralateral SC terminate on ipsilateral LR motoneurons, whereas the PPMRF neurons that receive tectoreticular axon terminals from the contralateral SC terminate on contralateral LR motoneurons.


Author(s):  
Agnes Wong

The vestibulocerebellum consists of the flocculus, ventral paraflocculus, nodulus, and uvula. ■ The flocculus receives inputs from the vestibular nucleus and nerve, nucleus prepositus hypoglossi (NPH), inferior olivary nucleus, cell groups of the paramedian tracts (PMT), nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP), and mesencephalic reticular formation. ■ The ventral paraflocculus receives inputs from contralateral pontine nuclei. ■ Project to ipsilateral superior and medial vestibular nuclei, and the y-group ■ Receive input from the medial and inferior vestibular nuclei, vestibular nerve, NPH, and inferior olivary nucleus ■ Project to the vestibular nuclei ■ The oculomotor vermis consists of parts of the declive, folium, tuber, and pyramis. ■ Receives inputs from the inferior olivary nucleus, vestibular nuclei, NPH, paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF), NRTP, and dorsolateral and dorsomedial pontine nuclei ■ Projects to the caudal fastigial nucleus ■ Stimulation of the Purkinje cells in the dorsal vermis elicits contralaterally directed saccades and smooth pursuit ■ Receives inputs from the dorsal vermis, inferior olivary nucleus, and NRTP ■ Decussates and projects via the uncinate fasciculus of the brachium conjunctivum to the contralateral PPRF, rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus, nucleus of the posterior commissure, omnipause neurons in nucleus raphe interpositus, the mesencephalic reticular formation, and superior colliculus ■ Neurons in the fastigial oculomotor region (FOR) fire during both ipsilateral and contralateral saccades. 1. The contralateral FOR neurons burst before the onset of saccade, and the onset of firing is not correlated with any property of the saccade. 2. Conversely, the time of onset for neurons in the ipsilateral FOR varies, with bursts occurring later for larger saccades. 3. Thus, the difference in time of onset between contralateral and ipsilateral FOR activity encodes the amplitude of saccades (i.e., the larger the difference in time of onset, the larger the saccade amplitude). Eye movement abnormalities in uncinate fasciculus lesion include hypometric ipsilesional saccades and hypermetric contralesional saccades (“contrapulsion”). Arnold-Chiari malformation is a malformation of the medullary–spinal junction with herniation of intracranial contents through the foramen magnum. The three types are illustrated in the figure below.


2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golda Anne Kevetter ◽  
Robert B. Leonard ◽  
Shawn D. Newlands ◽  
Adrian A. Perachio

The central distribution of afferents that innervate the crista ampullaris of the anterior or lateral semicircular canals was determined in gerbils following the direct injection of tracers into one sensory neuroepithelia. Labeled somata were scattered throughout the superior ganglion. The central distribution of fibers demonstrated extensive overlap. The central branch of afferents innervating either canal was located in the rostral part of the nerve. Nerve fibers divided into ascending and descending branches. Ascending branch ramifications terminated in the superior vestibular nucleus, the magnocellular and parvicellular medial vestibular nuclei, and the cerebellum. Cerebellar terminal areas include the flocculus, nodulus and uvula. Descending branch ramifications terminated in the caudal medial, parvicellular medial and descending vestibular nuclei, and the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi. Lateral canal afferents terminated sparsely in nucleus cuneatus. The anterior canal had sparse innervation in the paratrigeminal and gigantocellular reticular formation. This study has shown many similarities in the central distribution of fibers that innervate the anterior and lateral canals and a few areas of segregated input. Projections outside the vestibular nuclei are more extensive than previously determined, including afferents to prepositus hypoglossi, cochlear nuclei, and reticular formation. Projections to the flocculus appear as numerous as those to the vermis.


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