Excitatory synaptic transmission in the rat medical vestibular nucleus.

In vitro brainstem slice preparations have provided the opportunity to obtain accurate information about the neuropharmacology of the vestibular system. By stimulating the root of the eighth cranial nerve, excitatory synaptic transmission in the rat medial vestibular nucleus has been observed and analyzed with extra- and intra-cellular recordings. Recently, tight-seal, whole-cell recordings, perforated whole-cell recordings and microfluorometry of Ca2+ were applied to in vitro brainstem slice preparations to obtain detailed information. Excitatory synaptic transmission to MVN neurons is reviewed.