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Physiological Aspects of the Efferent Vestibular System

  • Chapter
Vestibular System Part 1: Basic Mechanisms

Part of the book series: Handbook of Sensory Physiology ((1653,volume 6 / 1))

Abstract

The last article gives a full account of the anatomy of the efferent fibers supplying the peripheral vestibular apparatus. It is the aim of this paper to summarize the data relating to the functional properties of this system. Before going into details of the vestibular efferent system it is worthwhile mentioning a few studies on efferent systems to sensory organs other than the vestibular receptors, since the efferent control of vestibular receptors represents only a special case of centrifugal control of a sensory input. The control of sensory impulses can take place at different levels of a particular sensory pathway. For example, “higher” centers may act on second order sensory neurons directly or at a presynaptic level on the afferent fibers to modulate the incoming information in accordance with different functional requirements (for details and references see: Hernandez-Peon, 1955; Granit, 1955; Rossi and Zanchetti, 1957; Hagbarth, 1960). The present Chapter, however, deals with another interesting aspect of centrifugal control of afferent sensory activity, i.e. the action of fibers of central origin on the peripheral receptors themselves. The presence of such fibers has been demonstrated anatomically as well as physiologically in various sensory systems. In the retina Granit (1955) first demonstrated reduction of the peripheral electrical activity as a consequence of electrical stimulation of certain central structures that are thought to give origin to efferent fibers.

Manuscript completed Nov. 1971.

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  1. Frankfurt a. M., Germany

    W. Precht

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  1. W. Precht
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  1. Abt. f. Neurologie der Universität, D-7900, Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 9, Germany

    H. H. Kornhuber

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© 1974 Springer-Verlag, Berlin · Heidelberg

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Precht, W. (1974). Physiological Aspects of the Efferent Vestibular System. In: Kornhuber, H.H. (eds) Vestibular System Part 1: Basic Mechanisms. Handbook of Sensory Physiology, vol 6 / 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65942-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65942-3_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-65944-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-65942-3

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