Responses of neurones in cat's abducens nuclei to horizontal angular acceleration.

Abstract

Single cell activity was recorded extracellularly from neurones in cat's abducens nuclei in unanesthetized, decerebrate preparations. Two types of neurones were found. i) The motoneurones (type IIA) increased their firing linearly or exponentially to contralateral constant angular accelerations and decreased firing to ipsilateral rotation. The increased frequency was maintained at a constant level without any sign of adaptation. This constant level of maximum frequency was proportional to the logarithm of the acceleration applied. No significant differences of the frequency responses of tonic and silent motoneurones were found. The conduction velocities of the axons of spontaneously firing type IIA cells were slower than in silent neurones. Electrical stimulation of the contralateral VIIIth nerve led to activation of the type IIA cells; stimulation of the ipsilateral nerve resulted in inhibition of both spontaneous discharge and antidromic invasion of the motoneurones. ii) The type IA units increased their firing rate to ipsilateral rotation and ceased to discharge in response to contralateral rotation. They never were excited antidromically by stimulation of the VIth nerve. However, they were excited by stimulation of the ipsilateral VIIIth nerve. Their possible functional role in the vestibulo-ocular system was discussed.