Related Experiment Videos
Circling behavior in the Ecl mouse is caused by lateral semicircular canal defects
Kim Cryns1, Arjan M van Alphen, Michiel P van Spaendonck
1Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
The Journal of Comparative Neurology
|December 23, 2003
Summary
The epistatic circler mouse exhibits circling and hyperactivity due to inner ear defects. Specifically, malformations in the horizontal semicircular canals impair the vestibuloocular reflex, explaining the observed circling behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- The epistatic circler (Ecl) mouse is a known mutant displaying circling and hyperactivity.
- Previous studies indicated complex inheritance for the circling phenotype, but vestibular pathology remained unexamined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the morphological and functional basis of circling behavior in Ecl mice.
- To analyze the vestibular system's role in the Ecl mouse phenotype.
Main Methods:
- Morphological examination of inner ear structures.
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurements to assess auditory function.
- Vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) testing to evaluate vestibular-ocular coordination.
Main Results:
- Bilateral malformations of the horizontal semicircular canal and duct were observed in Ecl mice.
- No cochlear abnormalities were detected, and ABR confirmed normal auditory system function.
- Horizontal VOR was virtually absent upon stimulation, correlating with morphological findings.
Conclusions:
- The circling phenotype in Ecl mice is attributed to malformations of the horizontal semicircular canals.
- Impaired VOR function, resulting from these morphological defects, is the direct cause of the circling behavior.
- The auditory system remains unaffected in this mutant model.