Neurochemistry of the central vestibular pathways

This review focuses on the neurochemistry of the central vestibular pathways. The main emphasis will be on the analysis of the central vestibular nuclei neurons, since several papers published in the past 5 years have provided important information on the role that neurotransmitter-dependent conductances play in the central processing of vestibular inputs. Indeed, increasing evidence suggests that both the non-linear intrinsic membrane properties of the neurons and the nature of the different neurotransmitters and neuromodulators involved in the vestibular network contribute to the various operations required for stabilising gaze and posture. It has also been demonstrated that the neurotransmitter-dependent conductances together with the ionic voltage-dependent conductances may determine the firing patterns of the medial vestibular neurons and interfere with their integrative properties. We hope that this review will show that by combining in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological approaches and the new powerful neuropharmacological techniques developed from the recent advances of molecular biology, the vestibular system can be used as a good model to elucidate some of the basic properties of the brain including learning, neural computation, network reconfiguration and post-lesional plasticity.