Efferent Controlled Integrating Functions of Primary Vestibular Afferents

Abstract

The vestibular type II receptor cells of mammalians are multiply innervated. Their afferents are integrating neurons consisting of many inputs but only one output. They transform the irregular spontaneous input activity into a regular output. Under the influence of efferent activity following the stimulation of the contralateral labyrinth, this regular output activity becomes irregular. This efferent influence upon afferent spontaneous activity is analysed by means of an existing computer model of an integrating cell. The analysis confirms a high functional interdependence of both labyrinths.