Development of a recording system to record short-latency vestibular evoked potentials in response to linear and angular accelerations in animals

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15616
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Iwasaki Shinichi 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (10359606)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 江上 直也 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (10505895) ; 藤本 千里 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 登録診療員 (60581882) ; 松本 有 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (80548553)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 脳・神経 / 内耳 / 前庭 / 平衡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To evaluate peripheral vestibular function in experimental animals, we have developed a system to record short -latency vestibular evoked potential (VsEP). In this system, we adopted newly developed vibrator and motor to provide linear and angular accelerations, respectively.
We could record reliable and repeatable VsEPs in response to linear accelerations of the head in mice. The waveforms of VsEP were different from auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). In mice treated with ototoxic drugs, kanamycin and ethacrynic acids, ABRs were absent, but VsEPs could be recorded. In contrast, in mice whose inner ears were surgically damage, both ABRs and VsEPs were absent. These results suggested that VsEPs evoked by linear acceleration were originated from the vestibular endorgans, probably the otolith organs. On the other hand, we could not record reliable VsEPs in response to angular accelerations, probably due to insufficient power of the rotatory motor that we used to evoke VsEPs.

Free Research Field

耳科学、神経耳科学、細胞生理