Vestibular projections to the thalamus of the pigeon

Microelectrode recording in the thalamus of pigeons subjected to tilt and sinusoidal rotational stimuli around the vertical, longitudinal and transversal axes revealed vestibularly driven units in two thalamic nuclei, the nucleus posteroventralis and the nucleus principalis precommissuralis. Many of these units responded in a complex manner suggesting that inputs from contralateral and ipsilateral cupulae and maculae converged on them. A few units received additional visual or proprioceptive information. The homology relationship with a mammalian vestibular thalamic nucleus is discussed briefly.