Membrane and synaptic properties of neurons that are involved in the velocity-position transformation in the vertical eye movement system

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To characterize neurons in the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC) that is involved in controlling vertical gaze, we investigated the electrophysiological properties such as firing pattern of INC neurons using whole-cell recordings in rat slice preparations. Furthermore, we compared the findings obtained from INC neurons to those previously obtained from neurons in the prepositus hypoglossi nucleus that is involved in controlling horizontal gaze. We found that the electrophysiological properties of INC neurons were similar to those of PHN neurons; however, the overall distribution of INC neurons that were classified based on the properties was different from that of PHN neurons. These findings suggest that the neuronal population involved in the gaze control is different between the horizontal and vertical system.