Chapter 14 Noradrenergic control of cerebello-vestibular functions: modulation, adaptation, compensation

Publisher Summary To identify the sensory inputs that could contribute to the low and regular discharge rate of the locus coeruleus (LC) neurons in the animal at rest, the experiments discussed in this chapter recorded the activity of these neurons in decerebrate cats and found that one of the main sources of tonic activation of the LC originated from macular gravity and neck receptors. A large proportion of LC complex neurons, including those projecting to the spinal cord, responded not only to the static stimulation but also to the dynamic stimulation of both types of receptors. The noradrenergic (NA) neurons contributed to the control of posture as well as to the regulation of the vestibulospinal (VSR) and cervicospinal reflexes. The NA signals acting on the cerebellar anterior vermis not only exert a short-term modulatory influence on the VSR but also intervene in long-term plastic changes that are at the basis of vestibular adaptation and compensation.