Survival of function in the deafferentated vestibular nerve

After it has been deafferentated, spontaneous spike activity in the vestibular nerve is not abolished, but is drastically reduced 1-3 months post-op. If the nerve stump is cut again in the compensated animal, similarly directed postural asymmetries are re-induced, although of milder intensity. Electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve stump evokes monosynaptic excitation in the vestibular nuclei and a vestibulo-ocular reflex at normal thresholds despite partial degeneration in the nerve. Therefore, the deafferentated nerve is capable of exerting compensatory influences upon the central nervous system.

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