[Cervical and oculomotor reflexes induced by electrical stimulation of the semicircular canals of the pigeon].

The ampullae of horizontal, anterior and posterior canals of the alert pigeon were stimulated with short electrical pulses. The double pulses evoke synchronized biphasic short-latency disynaptic responses in neck muscles, their amplitudes depending on interpulse delay. Facilitation occurred between 80-100 mcsec and 3-4 msec. The amplitudes of contralateral responses were higher. The short-latency responses are under control of the otolithic input. The angular acceleration or short pulse trains evoke eye movements in the plane of the stimulated canal, as well as their neck correlates the polysynaptic responses that form the nystagmic rhythm. Changing of the stimuli parameters induce di- and polysynaptic neck responses as different components of the reaction. The eye nystagmus evoked with electrical stimulation of ampullae in the wide frequency band of stimulation, depended on stimuli parameters. The data obtained are discussed using concept of central vestibulo-oculomotor integrator.