Responses of neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of conscious cats to anticipated and passive movements.

ABSTRACT: The vestibular system contributes to regulating sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure. Initial studies in decerebrate animals showed that neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) respond to small-amplitude (<10°) rotations of the body, as in other brain areas that process vestibular signals, although such movements do not affect blood distribution in the body. However, a subsequent experiment in conscious animals showed that few RVLM neurons respond to small-amplitude movements. This study tested the hypothesis that RVLM neurons in conscious animals respond to signals from the vestibular otolith organs elicited by large-amplitude static tilts. The activity of approximately one-third of RVLM neurons whose firing rate was related to the cardiac cycle, and thus likely recei

SUBMITTER: Miller DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7099461 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature