Experimental Brain Research

, Volume 82, Issue 1, pp 187–190 | Cite as

Low threshold calcium spikes in medial vestibular nuclei neurones in vitro: a role in the generation of the vestibular nystagmus quick phase in vivo?

  • M. Serafin
  • A. Khateb
  • C. de Waele
  • P. P. Vidal
  • M. Mühlethaler
Article
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Accepted:

Summary

Intracellular recordings were obtained from medial vestibular nuclei neurones in guinea-pig brainstem slices. A subpopulation of neurones in this nucleus was found to have burst firing properties. Using ionic channel blockers the underlying mechanism was shown to be a low threshold calcium spike. It is speculated that this property could be implicated in the generation of the quick phase of the vestibular nystagmus in the behaving guinea-pig.

Key words

Eye movements Calcium conductances Guinea-pig 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1990

Authors and Affiliations

  • M. Serafin
    • 1
  • A. Khateb
    • 1
  • C. de Waele
    • 2
  • P. P. Vidal
    • 2
  • M. Mühlethaler
    • 1
  1. 1.Département de PhysiologieCMUGenève 4Switzerland
  2. 2.Laboratoire de Physiologie Neurosensorielle, CNRSParis Cedex 06France

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