Dorsal Vermis Research Articles

Development of gamma-aminobutyric acid immunoreactivity in chick hyperstriatum ventrale and cerebellum: light and electron microscopical observations.

The presence of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the avian hyperstriatum ventrale and dorsal cerebeller vermis was investigated immunocytochemically using a recently characterized antiserum raised against GABA. Tissue from domestic chicks aged from 19 days in ovo to 28 days posthatch was studied with both light and electron microscopy using pre-embedding immunocytochemistry. Basket, stellate and Golgi cells in the cerebellum, considered to be GABA-ergic, exhibited specific GABA-like immunolabelling in perikarya and in axonal and dendritic processes throughout the developmental period investigated. Purkinje cells also exhibited specific GABA-like immunoreactivity in both pre- and posthatch birds but the distribution and intensity of the immunolabelling varied with age and also in its location within the Purkinje neuron. In prehatch birds Purkinje perikarya exhibited heavy immunostaining which was substantially reduced posthatch, whereas the Purkinje primary dendrites remained immunopositive throughout the developmental period. A small population of cells in the medial hyperstriatum ventrale (mHV) were GABA-positive prehatch, but no immunopositive perikarya were evident in any posthatch samples. Small GABA-positive punctate profiles, representing boutons and transversely sectioned axons or dendrites, were present in the neuropil of all age groups studied. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed and it is suggested that the loss of perikaryal immunostaining, both in the cerebellar Purkinje cells and in those of the mHV, may be governed by maturational processes.

New concepts of cerebellar control of eye movements.

We can now, at least tentatively, relegate some oculomotor functions to particular portions of the cerebellum and thus infer which cerebellar structures are malfunctioning in the presence of particular groups of oculomotor signs. The dorsal cerebellar vermis and underlying fastigial nuclei function in the control of saccade amplitude. Consequently, saccadic inaccuracy (dysmetria) and macrosaccadic oscillations are signs of pathology in the dorsal vermis/fastigial nuclei. The floccular‐nodular lobe functions in the control of a number of retinal image‐stabilizing reflexes, including smooth pursuit, visual modulation of the vestibulo‐ocular reflex, and holding positions of gaze. Defective smooth tracking, impaired fixation suppression of caloric‐induced nystagmus, and gaze‐evoked nystagmus are signs of vestibulocerebellar lesions. Furthermore, the elaboration of long‐term, adaptive changes in saccadic and vestibular performance depends on these same structures. Consequent defects are persistent oscillopsia and imbalance.

Functional properties of visual tracking neurons in posterior parietal association cortex of the monkey.

Functional properties of visual tracking neurons in posterior parietal association cortex of the monkey.

Visual and pursuit eye movement-related activity in posterior vermis of monkey cerebellum.

Visual and pursuit eye movement-related activity in posterior vermis of monkey cerebellum.D A Suzuki, H Noda, and M KaseD A Suzuki, H Noda, and M KasePublished Online:01 Nov 1981https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1981.46.5.1120MoreSectionsPDF (3 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailWeChat Previous Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformationCited ByPursuit disorder and saccade dysmetria after caudal fastigial inactivation in the monkeyClara Bourrelly, Julie Quinet, and Laurent Goffart2 October 2018 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 120, No. 4The superior colliculus and the steering of saccades toward a moving visual targetLaurent Goffart, Aaron L. Cecala, and Neeraj J. Gandhi7 November 2017 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 118, No. 5Responses of Purkinje cells in the oculomotor vermis of monkeys during smooth pursuit eye movements and saccades: comparison with floccular complexRamanujan T. Raghavan and Stephen G. Lisberger1 August 2017 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 118, No. 2Synchronizing the tracking eye movements with the motion of a visual target: Basic neural processesLearning the trajectory of a moving visual target and evolution of its tracking in the monkeyClara Bourrelly, Julie Quinet, Patrick Cavanagh, and Laurent Goffart1 December 2016 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 116, No. 6Visual Pathways Serving Motion Detection in the Mammalian Brain1 April 2010 | Sensors, Vol. 10, No. 4Role of Primate Cerebellar Hemisphere in Voluntary Eye Movement Control Revealed by Lesion EffectsMasafumi Ohki, Hiromasa Kitazawa, Takahito Hiramatsu, Kimitake Kaga, Taiko Kitamura, Jinzo Yamada, and Soichi Nagao1 February 2009 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 101, No. 2Common Inhibitory Mechanism for Saccades and Smooth-Pursuit Eye MovementsM. Missal, and E. L. Keller1 October 2002 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 88, No. 4Purkinje Cells of the Cerebellar Dorsal Vermis: Simple-Spike Activity During Pursuit and Passive Whole-Body RotationYasuhiro Shinmei, Takanobu Yamanobe, Junko Fukushima, and Kikuro Fukushima1 April 2002 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 87, No. 4Cerebellar Flocculus and Ventral Paraflocculus Purkinje Cell Activity During Predictive and Visually Driven Pursuit in MonkeyM. Suh, H.-C. Leung, and R. E. Kettner1 October 2000 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 84, No. 4Smooth-Pursuit Eye-Movement Deficits With Chemical Lesions in Macaque Nucleus Reticularis Tegmenti PontisDavid A. Suzuki, Tetsuto Yamada, Rebecca Hoedema, and Robert D. Yee1 September 1999 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 82, No. 3Role of the Oculomotor Vermis in Generating Pursuit and Saccades: Effects of MicrostimulationR. J. Krauzlis, and F. A. Miles1 October 1998 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 80, No. 4Participation of Caudal Fastigial Nucleus in Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements. II. Effects of Muscimol InactivationFarrel R. Robinson, Andreas Straube, and Albert F. Fuchs1 August 1997 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 78, No. 2Prearcuate cortex in the cebus monkey has cortical and subcortical connections like the macaque frontal eye field and projects to fastigial-recipient oculomotor-related brainstem nucleiBrain Research Bulletin, Vol. 41, No. 1Posterior vermal Purkinje cells in macaques responding during saccades, smooth pursuit, chair rotation and/or optokinetic stimulationNeuroscience Research, Vol. 12, No. 5Generation of smooth-pursuit eye movements: neuronal mechanisms and pathwaysNeuroscience Research, Vol. 11, No. 2Auditory receptive area in the cerebellar hemisphere is surrounded by somatosensory areasBrain Research, Vol. 541, No. 2Target areas of presumed auditory projections from lateral and dorsolateral pontine nuclei to posterior cerebellar vermis in ratBrain Research, Vol. 536, No. 1-2Inhibitory action of Purkinje cells in the posterior vermis on fastigio-prepositus circuit of the catBrain Research, Vol. 455, No. 1Morphological and behavioral markers of environmentally induced retardation of brain development: an animal model.Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 74Biological image motion processing: A reviewVision Research, Vol. 25, No. 5Membrane resistivity estimated for the purkinje neuron by means of a passive computer modelNeuroscience, Vol. 14, No. 1Cerebellar vermis involvement in monkey saccadic eye movements: MicrostimulationExperimental Neurology, Vol. 86, No. 3Space-time representation in the brain. The cerebellum as a predictive space-time metric tensorNeuroscience, Vol. 7, No. 12The tecto-olivo-cerebellar pathway in the ratBrain Research, Vol. 250, No. 1 More from this issue > Volume 46Issue 5November 1981Pages 1120-39 https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1981.46.5.1120PubMed7299450History Published online 1 November 1981 Published in print 1 November 1981 Metrics

Effects of ablation of flocculus and paraflocculus of eye movements in primate.

1. Eye movements were recorded in four rhesus monkeys, before and after bilateral ablations of the flocculi and portions of the paraflocculi (“flocculectomy”). Animals were trained to fixate and follow targets so that pursuit, saccades, and vestibular and optokinetic nystagmus could be quantitated. 2. The vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) was mildly affected by flocculectomy. In darkness the VOR gain (eye velocity/head velocity) for steps of head velocity (normal range, 0.84-0.96) increased postoperatively in one monkey to 1.17, decreased in another to 0.62, and did not change significantly in the other two (0.96, 0.94). VOR phase lead at 0.05-Hz oscillation in darkness (normal range, O,O--LOO) increased in two monkeys by 12 and 9.5 O but did not change significantly in the others. 3. Visual suppression of inappropriate vestibular nystagmus was impaired. During oscillation at 0.25 Hz with a head-fixed visual scene, the average amount of attenuation of the VOR decreased from 5 1% preoperatively to 20% postoperatively. Visual suppression of caloric nystagmus was comparably affected. 4. Smooth tracking of small targets moving in space was impaired either with the head still (smooth pursuit) or moving (cancellation of the VOR by fixating a target rotating with the head). The average gain (gaze velocity/target velocity) in either case was about 0.65 (normal, 0.95-0.98). The pursuit deficit was less than that reported after total cerebellectomy, suggesting other cerebellar structures also participate in smooth tracking. 5. Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) was present postoperatively but, in response to a constant-velocity stimulus, the initial slowphase velocity decreased by 50% and the rise time to a steady state nearly doubled. For stimuli belowr 6O”/s the average steady-state gain was only mildly diminished to 0.86 (normal, 0.98) and the time course of optokinetic afternystagmus (OKAN) in darkness was normal. The response to higher velocity optokinetic stimuli was impaired. These abnormalities can largely be attributed to the coexisting pursuit deficit although the protracted rise to a steady state suggests a change in the ability of the brain stem optokinetic system to handle large amounts of retinal slip. 6. Flocculectomized monkeys showed horizontally, gaze-paretic nystagmus with exponentially decaying centripetal drift (time constant, 1.56 s) and vertically, downbeat nystagmus with exponentially decaying (in three monkeys) or exponentially increasing (in one monkey) slow phases. All animals showed rebound nystagmus. These results implicate the flocculus and possibly the paraflocculus in the control of the time constant and stability of the brain stem oculomotor integrators. 7. Saccadic velocities and accuracy were normal but flocculectomized monkeys showed brief (40150 ms duration), approximately exponential, postsaccadic drift with amplitudes up to 15% of the size of the saccade. The eyes usually drifted in the same direction as the saccade but each monkey showed an idiosyncratic pattern depending on saccade direction and eye position. Postsaccadic drift may reflect a mismatch between the phasic (pulse) and tonic (step) innervational changes that create saccades.

Long-term adaptive changes in primate vestibuloocular reflex. III. Electrophysiological observations in flocculus of normal monkeys.

Long-term adaptive changes in primate vestibuloocular reflex. III. Electrophysiological observations in flocculus of normal monkeys.

Uganda Asians

Saccades under four specific test conditions (visually guided, visually remembered, vestibular remembered, and cervical remembered) were studied in a 38 year old man with ocular dysmetria due to an angioma of the dorsal cerebellar vermis. The aim of the study was to investigate if the saccadic disorder was specific to certain subsets of saccades elicited by different sensory modalities. The experiments showed that initial saccades were equally hypermetric in all four conditions and that final eye position was normal in all memory guided saccade tests. Eye movements differed after the initial saccade, however. Whereas corrective saccades were seen in most visually guided and visually remembered experiments, postsaccadic centripetal drifts were documented in non-visual (vestibular and cervical) remembered saccades. These results indicate that the cerebellar vermis modulates the amplitude of the initial saccade (pulse size of saccadic innervation) independently of the saccadic task. The finding that post-saccadic drift never occurred when saccades were programmed using visual positional information suggests that the dorsal vermis may participate in the process of pulse step integration of saccades elicited by memorised vestibulo-cervical information.