[Serotonergic innervation of the auditory receptor]

The serotonergic inervation of the auditory receptor is composed by nerve fibres of multipolar neurons located on the superior lateral oliva. These neurons could correspond to outer elements of the nucleus reticularis caudalis. The peripheral projection on the auditory receptor is composed of varicose fibres distributed within the inner spiral bundle connecting on inner hair cells. Other fibres, after a spiral pathway within the Corti's tunnel, reach the outer hair cells. This new fascicle, with a particular origin and peripheral distribution, characterized as serotonergic and of unknown function, could be considered as a previously undescribed projection of the reticular formation on the auditory receptor.