TY - GEN
T1 - How vestibular neurons solve the tilt/translation ambiguity
T2 - Comparison of brainstem, cerebellum, and thalamus
AU - Angelaki, Dora E.
AU - Yakusheva, Tatyana A.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2009/5
Y1 - 2009/5
N2 - The peripheral vestibular system is faced by a sensory ambiguity, where primary otolith afferents respond identically to translational (inertial) accelerations and changes in head orientation relative to gravity. Under certain conditions, this sensory ambiguity can be resolved using extra-otolith cues, including semicircular canal signals. Here we review and summarize how neurons in the vestibular nuclei, rostral fastigial nuclei, cerebellar nodulus/uvula, and thalamus respond during combinations of tilt and translation. We focus primarily on cerebellar cortex responses, as nodulus/uvula Purkinje cells reliably encode translation rather than net gravito-inertial acceleration. In contrast, neurons in the vestibular and rostral fastigial nuclei, as well as the ventral lateral and ventral posterior nuclei of the thalamus represent a continuum, with some encoding translation and some net gravito-inertial acceleration. This review also outlines how Purkinje cells use semicircular canal signals to solve the ambiguity problem and how this solution fails at low frequencies. We conclude by attempting to bridge the gap between the proposed roles of nodulus/uvula in tilt/translation discrimination and velocity storage.
AB - The peripheral vestibular system is faced by a sensory ambiguity, where primary otolith afferents respond identically to translational (inertial) accelerations and changes in head orientation relative to gravity. Under certain conditions, this sensory ambiguity can be resolved using extra-otolith cues, including semicircular canal signals. Here we review and summarize how neurons in the vestibular nuclei, rostral fastigial nuclei, cerebellar nodulus/uvula, and thalamus respond during combinations of tilt and translation. We focus primarily on cerebellar cortex responses, as nodulus/uvula Purkinje cells reliably encode translation rather than net gravito-inertial acceleration. In contrast, neurons in the vestibular and rostral fastigial nuclei, as well as the ventral lateral and ventral posterior nuclei of the thalamus represent a continuum, with some encoding translation and some net gravito-inertial acceleration. This review also outlines how Purkinje cells use semicircular canal signals to solve the ambiguity problem and how this solution fails at low frequencies. We conclude by attempting to bridge the gap between the proposed roles of nodulus/uvula in tilt/translation discrimination and velocity storage.
KW - Cerebellum
KW - Linear acceleration
KW - Purkinje cell
KW - Rotation
KW - Translation
KW - Velocity storage
KW - Vermis
KW - Vestibular
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=66149133201&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.03939.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.03939.x
M3 - Conference contribution
C2 - 19645876
AN - SCOPUS:66149133201
SN - 9781573317177
T3 - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
SP - 19
EP - 28
BT - Basic and Clinical Aspects of Vertigo and Dizziness
PB - Blackwell Publishing Inc.
ER -