Brain inputs to the vestibular nuclei in lampreys

Abstract

To avoid image blurring, the vestibulo-ocular (VOR) and the optokinetic (OKR) reflexes stabilize gaze. In all vertebrates, the VOR is mediated via direct projections from the vestibular nuclei to the motor nuclei that control the extraocular muscles. Lampreys show three vestibular nuclei that are well characterized in terms of their projections and sensory inputs, but much less is known about their inputs from other brain regions and the connectivity between them. Using tracer injections and electrophysiological recordings, we show that the lamprey vestibular nuclei are largely interconnected, while their inputs from other brain regions are scarce. The main rostral areas projecting to the vestibular nuclei are the pretectum and the ventral tier of the thalamus, which send ipsilateral inputs to the three vestibular nuclei.