Responses of neurons of the cat central cervical nucleus to natural neck and vestibular stimulation

1. The central cervical nucleus (CCN) is known to receive neck and vestibular input and to project to the contralateral cerebellum and vestibular nuclei. To investigate the processing of neck and vestibular input by cells in the CCN, we studied their responses to sinusoidal neck rotation and to whole-body tilt in vertical planes in decerebrate, paralyzed cats. CCN neurons were identified by antidromic stimulation with electrodes placed in or near the contralateral restiform body. 2. For every neuron, we first identified the preferred direction of neck rotation (response vector orientation), then studied the neuron's dynamics with rotations in a plane close to this direction at 0.05-1 Hz. 3. Responses of CCN neurons to neck rotation resembled those of previously studied neck spindle primary afferents in terms of their dynamics and nonlinear responses to stimuli of differing amplitudes. They also resembled the neck responses of Deiters' neurons studied in similar preparations. 4. The activity of two-thirds of CCN neurons also was modulated by natural vestibular stimulation. Orientation and dynamics of vestibular responses were characterized in the same way as neck responses. Labyrinthine input originated predominantly from the contralateral vertical canals, and there was no evidence of otolith input. Neck and vestibular inputs were always antagonistic, but the gain of the vestibular response was lower than that of the neck response at all frequencies studied. 5. The quantitative aspects of the interaction between neck and vestibular inputs can be expected to vary with the type of preparation and with stimulus parameters, and its functional significance remains to be investigated.