Journal
EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH
Volume 210, Issue 3-4, Pages 347-352Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00221-010-2499-5
Keywords
Vestibular; Utricular; Saccular; Otolithic; Bone conduction; Sound; Vibration
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Funding
- National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
- Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation
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This study tested whether air-conducted sound and bone-conducted vibration activated primary vestibular afferent neurons and whether, at low levels, such stimuli are specific to particular vestibular sense organs. In response to 500 Hz bone-conducted vibration or 500 Hz air-conducted sound, primary vestibular afferent neurons in the guinea pig fall into one of two categories--some neurons show no measurable change in firing up to 2 g peak-to-peak or 140 dB SPL. These are semicircular canal neurons (regular or irregular) and regular otolith neurons. In sharp contrast, otolith irregular neurons show high sensitivity: a steep increase in firing as stimulus intensity is increased. These sensitive neurons typically, but not invariably, were activated by both bone-conducted vibration and air-conducted sound, they originate from both the utricular and saccular maculae, and their sensitivity underpins new clinical tests of otolith function.
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