Postlesional Vestibular Reorganization Improves the Gain But Impairs the Spatial Tuning of the Maculo-Ocular Reflex in Frogs

• Published in: Journal of neurophysiology 2003-12, Vol.90 (6), p.3736-3749
• Main Authors: Rohregger, Martin, Dieringer, Norbert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abducens Nerve Injury - physiopathology; Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; Anura; Auditory Perception - physiology; Ear, Inner - injuries; Ear, Inner - physiology; Epithelium - innervation; Epithelium - physiology; Freshwater; Movement - physiology; Nerve Fibers - physiology; Nerve Regeneration - physiology; Rana; Rana temporaria; Saccule and Utricle - innervation; Saccule and Utricle - physiology; Space Perception - physiology; Vestibule, Labyrinth - injuries; Vestibule, Labyrinth - physiology
• ISSN: 0022-3077; 1522-1598
• DOI: 10.1152/jn.00561.2003

Department of Physiology, University of Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany Submitted 11 June 2003; accepted in final form 23 July 2003 The ramus anterior (RA) of N.VIII was sectioned unilaterally. Two months later we analyzed in vivo responses of the ipsi- and of the contralesional abducens nerve during horizontal and vertical linear acceleration in darkness. The contralesional abducens nerve had become responsive again to linear acceleration either because of a synaptic reorganization in the vestibular nuclei on the operated side and/or because of a reinnervation of the utricular macula by regenerating afferent nerve fibers. Significant differences in the onset latencies and in the acceleration sensitivities allowed a separation of RA frogs in a group without and in a group with functional utricular reinnervation. Most important, the vector orientation for maximal abducens nerve responses was clearly altered: postlesional synaptic reorganization resulted in the emergence of abducens nerve responses to vertical linear acceleration, a response component that was barely detectable in RA frogs with utricular reinnervation and that was absent in controls. The ipsilesional abducens nerve, however, exhibited unaltered responses in either group of RA frogs. The altered spatial tuning properties of contralesional abducens nerve responses are a direct consequence of the postlesional expansion of signals from intact afferent nerve and excitatory commissural fibers onto disfacilitated 2nd-order vestibular neurons on the operated side. These results corroborate the notion that postlesional vestibular reorganization activates a basic neural reaction pattern with more beneficial results at the cellular than at the network level. However, given that the underlying mechanism is activityrelated, rehabilitative training after vestibular nerve lesion can be expected to shape the ongoing reorganization. Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: N. Dieringer, Department of Physiology, Pettenkoferstr. 12, 80336 Munich, Germany (E-mail: dieringer{at}phyl.med.uni-muenchen.de ).