Vestibular compensation in lampreys: restoration of symmetry in reticulospinal commands

Abstract

Removal of a vestibular organ (unilateral labyrinthectomy, UL) in the lamprey results in a loss of equilibrium, so that the animal rolls (rotates around its longitudinal axis) when swimming. Owing to vestibular compensation, UL animals gradually restore postural equilibrium and, in a few weeks, swim without rolling. Important elements of the postural network in the lamprey are the reticulospinal (RS) neurons, which are driven by vestibular input and transmit commands for postural corrections to the spinal cord. As shown previously, a loss of equilibrium after UL is associated with disappearance of vestibular responses in the contralateral group of RS neurons. Are these responses restored in animals after compensation? To answer this question, we recorded vestibular responses in RS neurons (elicited by rotation of the compensated animal in the roll plane) by means of chronically implanted electrodes. We found that the responses re-appeared in the compensated animals. This result supports the hypothesis that the loss of equilibrium after UL was caused by asymmetry in supraspinal motor commands, and the recovery of postural control in compensated animals was due to a restoration of symmetry.