Role of the Dorsolateral Pontine Nucleus in Short-Term Adaptation of the Horizontal Vestibuloocular Reflex

The dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN) is a major component of the cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway that carries signals essential for smooth pursuit. This pathway also carries visual signals that could play a role in visually guided motor learning in the vestibular ocular reflex (VOR). However, there have been no previous studies that tested this possibility directly. The aim of this study was to determine the potential role of the DLPN in short-term VOR gain adaptation produced by viewing a scene through lenses placed in front of both eyes. In control experiments, adaptation of VOR gain was achieved by sinusoidal rotation (0.2 Hz, 30°/s) for 2 h while the monkey viewed a stationary visual surround through either magnifying (×2) or minifying (×0.5) lenses. This led to increases (23–32%) or decreases (22–48%) of VOR gain as measured in complete darkness (VORd). We used injections of muscimol, a potent GABAA agonist (0.5 μl; 2%), to reversibly inactivate the DLPN, unilaterally, in three monkeys. After DLPN inactivation, initial acceleration of ipsilateral smooth-pursuit was reduced by 35–68%, and steady-state gain was reduced by 32–61%. Despite these significant deficits ( P < 0.01) in ipsilesional smooth pursuit, the VOR during lens viewing was similar to that measured in preinjection control experiments. Similarly, after 2 h of adaptation, VORd gain was not significantly different ( P > 0.61) from control adaptation values for either ipsi- or contralesional directions of head rotation. This was the case even though a stable ipsilesional smooth pursuit deficit persisted throughout the full adaptation period. Our results suggest that visual error signals for short-term adaptation of the VOR are derived from sources other than the DLPN perhaps including other basilar pontine nuclei and the accessory optic system.