Connections between utricular nerve and dorsal neck motoneurons of the decerebrate cat

1. We studied connections between the utricular (UT) nerve and dorsal neck motoneurons in decerebrate cats. Electrodes were fixed in place on the UT nerve under visual observation; the other branches of the vestibular nerve were transected. 2. The N1 field potential evoked by UT nerve stimulation was recorded in the vestibular nuclei at the start of each experiment. The potential typically grew until it reached a plateau. Stimulus spread (if any) to the central ends of other nerve branches was revealed by an additional increase in N1 amplitude after the plateau was reached. 3. We recorded intracellularly from 55 motoneurons in C1-C3. Some were identified as having axons in the dorsal rami, which innervate dorsal neck muscles. Others projected in nerves that were not available for stimulation. 4. UT nerve stimulation evoked synaptic potentials in essentially all motoneurons studied. The predominant pattern consisted of disynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potentials in ipsilateral motoneurons and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials that were at least trisynaptic in contralateral motoneurons. 5. The results demonstrate the presence of short-latency connections between the utricular nerve and dorsal neck motoneurons. The functional role of this pathway remains to be investigated.