The vestibular complex of the American opossum didelphis virginiana. II. Afferent and efferent connections.

Abstract

We have demonstrated the connectivity of the opossum's vestibular nuclei using degeneration, autoradiographic and horseradish peroxidase techniques and have found it to be generally comparable to that reported for the cat. Apart from the primary input described in Part I of our study, the cerebellum provides the major source of afferent connections to the vestibular complex. Axons from the cerebellar cortex distribute mainly to vestibular areas which receive no primary afferent projections, e.g., the dorsal part of the lateral vestibular nucleus, the dorsolateral margin of the inferior vestibular nucleus as well as cell groups comparable to "f" and "x." In contrast, fastigial fibers show considerable overlap with primary vestibular input, particularly in the ventral part of the lateral nucleus, the central part of the inferior nucleus and the medial nucleus. Axons of fastigial origin also distribute to the superior vestibular nucleus, to subnuclei "f" and "x" and to the parasolitary region. Although spinal fibers are diffuse within the main vestibular nuclei, they ramify quite densely within subnucleus "x." Most of the spinovestibular projection appears to arise in the cervical spinal cord of the opossum. Ipsilateral connections from the interstitial nucleus of Cajal and surrounding areas end predominantly, but not exclusively, in the medial vestibular nucleus. A crossed midbrain projection has been verified from the red nucleus to cell group "x" and the lateral part of the inferior nucleus, as well as to an area possibly comparable to cell group "z," as described for the cat. In Part I of our study we have shown that the major targets of primary vestibular fibers are the central part of the superior nucleus, a portion of the parabrachial complex possibly comparable to subnucleus "y"," the ventral part of the lateral nucleus and the medial nucleus. All of these primary zones give rise to fibers supplying extraocular nuclei and surrounding areas (present study). The ascending midbrain fibers from the superior nucleus end mainly ipsilaterally, whereas those from the putative subnucleus "y" and the medial vestibular nucleus distribute contralaterally for the most part. Although the dorsal part of the lateral vestibular nucleus has no primary vestibular input, it does receive a major projection from the cerebellar cortex. This same region of the lateral nucleus projects to the spinal cord, but not to extraocular nuclei. The ventral part of the lateral nucleus, and perhaps the medial nucleus, also relay to the spinal cord. Additional projections from all vestibular nuclei to the reticular formation provide indirect routes through which the vestibular nuclei can potentially effect multiple systems, including those innervating the spinal cord. Finally, commissural vestibular connections of the opossum are shown to arise within all four major nuclei.