INFORMATION CHANNELS IN THE VESTIBULAR NERVE

这项拟议的研究涉及通过控制头部运动 前庭系统。这样的动作在姿势上起着重要的作用 反射和头颅感觉器官的方向，但我们不知道 这些运动在脑干和颈椎中是如何组织的 电源线。男性前庭结肠功能异常与 姿势调节障碍是临床常见的后遗症 梅尼埃病等病症。 要了解前庭对头部运动的控制，我们需要知道：(1) 前庭神经的功能成分，以及(2)这些成分是如何 与各种类型的前庭颈部神经元有关。在……里面 已经完成或正在进行的实验我正在描述班级的特征 前庭脊髓神经元将信息传递到颈部汽车池 Sprint emys Scripta。拟议的研究将扩展对Head的这种分析 肌肉控制。(1)前庭初级传入神经的外周轴突 用辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)标记，并根据 4个已知具有功能意义的形态参数： 直径、末端类型、形态和在冰脊上的位置。(2) 前庭初级传入的毛细胞将用光和 电子显微镜，并将检验一个与空间相关的假设 已知的生理差异导致发束结构的变化 在初选之间。(3)标记的前庭初级轴突将 根据它们的直径、分枝模式和 与前庭核神经元的关系。(4)量化技术将 用于根据外周轴突和中枢轴突的类别来识别它们的类别 形态、传入和中心靶点，并确定可能的 外周轴突与中枢轴突的配对。它们的目的是 实验是为了鉴定不同形态的种群 帮助了解前庭初级传入神经的功能作用 每个人都在组织头部动作方面发挥作用。这项研究，结合 随着工作的进行，将有助于我们对运动的理解 通过两种方式进行控制。这项拟议的研究将构成第一个 信息通道的全面、系统的形态描述 在任何脊椎动物的前庭神经中。因此，它将有助于 对前庭信息处理有一定的了解。第二， 拟议中的研究将提供有关基础机制的重要数据 轴向电机系统的降速控制。

The proposed research deals with the control of head movements by the vestibular system. Such movements play an important role in postural reflexes and the orientation of cranial sense organs, but we do not know how these movements are organized within the brainstem and cervical spinal cord. Abnormalities in vestibulocollic function in man are associated with deficits in postural regulation and are common sequelae of clinical conditions such as Meniere's disease. To understand vestibular control of head movements we need to know: (1) the functional components of the vestibular nerve, and (2) how these are related to the various classes of vestibulocervical neurons. In experiments already completed or underway I am characterizing the classes of vestibulospinal neurons which relay information to neck motorpools in Pseudemys scripta. The proposed research will extend this analysis of head muscle control. (1) Peripheral axons of vestibular primary afferents will be labelled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and characterized in terms of 4 morphological parameters that are known to have functional significance: diameter, and terminal type, morphology, and location on the crista. (2) Hair cells afferent to vestibular primaries will be examined with light and electronmicroscopy, and an hypothesis will be tested that relates spatial variation in hair bundle structure to known physiological differences between primaries. (3) Labelled central axons of vestibular primaries will be characterized in terms of their diameter, branching pattern and relations to vestibular nucleus neurons. (4) Quantitative techniques will be used to identify classes of peripheral and central axons based on their morphologies, afferents, and central targets, and to determine probable pairings of peripheral with central axon classes. The object of these experiments is to identify the various morphological population of vestibular primary afferents and to help understand the functional role each plays in the organization of head movements. This research, combined with work in progress, will contribute to our understanding of movement control in two ways. The proposed research will constitute the first comprehensive, systematic morphological description of information channels in the vestibular nerve of any vertebrate. Thus it will contribute to a general understanding of vestibular information processing. Second, the proposed research will provide important data on mechanisms underlying the descending control of axial motor systems.