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Biomedical subjects

B F McCabe

Publications and source records attributed to B F McCabe.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Second-order neural responses after contralateral vestibular nerve sectioning.

The characteristics of the response to an 8 degrees/sec2 acceleration of 41 neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus of the cat following vestibular nerve sectioning were compared with those of 73 control neurons at the same site. In 14 of the vestibular nerve-sectioned animals the same neuron was recorded before and after sectioning. No difference was found between the resting discharge rates, maximal response rates, and rates of adaptation of the two groups. Following contralateral vestibular nerve sectioning Type II neurons were still plentiful, suggesting many receive ipsilateral labyrinthine innervation.

Action Potentials↗

Effects of ketamine on the adaptive responses of second-order vestibular neurons of the cat.

The adaptive characteristics of 80 neurons in the vestibular nuclei of ketamine-anesthetized cats were investigated. All types I and II neurons responded to stimulation of the horizontal semicircular canals by an 8 degree/sec2 stepwise angular acceleration of 40 sec. For the purpose of this study, vestibular adaptation was defined as a decline in response at a rate of greater than -0.01 spikes/sec/sec. According to this criterion, 71 neurons (89 per cent) behaved as adapting neurons, and nine (11 per cent) showed either no adaptation or reverse adaptation. The rate of adaptation varied from neuron to neuron; the average rate was -0.312 spikes/sec/sec. The average resting discharge rate, the maximum response level, and the average adaptation rate were compared with similar neural responses in barbiturate-anesthetized cats. Although the average resting discharge rates of the two groups showed no significant difference, the average adaptation rate and the maximum response level of the ketamine-anesthetized group were significantly higher than those of the barbiturate-anesthetized group. These data suggest that the gain of the second-order neurons is higher and more actively modulated in more alert (ketamine-anesthetized) cats than in barbiturate-anesthetized cats.

Animals↗