In response to head or surround motion about a head yaw axis, eye velocity tends to align with gravito-inertial acceleration (GIA) rather than with the head yaw axis. This axis reorientation demonstrates that the angular vestibulo ocular reflex (aVOR) has spatial orientation properties. The spatial orientation properties include changes in time constants of horizontal, vertical and roll eye velocity and have been shown to be produced by the three dimensional velocity storage integrator. It has been shown that in a three dimensional model of velocity storage, the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of velocity storage system matrix are objective measures of spatial orientation and enables a direct comparison between velocity storage model predictions and data of eye velocity as a function of gravity. Lesions of the nodulus and uvula abolish spatial orientation of velocity storage, causing eye velocity to be maintained about the head yaw axis. Specifically, yaw to vertical and yaw to roll cross-coupling and changes in horizontal, vertical, and roll time constants with changes in GIA are lost. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that the nodulus and uvula control specific parameters of the system matrix associated with velocity storage. Model-based unit, lesion, and stimulation studies are proposed to determine how otolith and canal activity projecting to the nodulus and uvula is processed to generate Purkinje cell output that controls spatial orientation of velocity storage and ensuing eye velocity. We posit that this control is accomplished by projections to regions of the superior and medial vestibular nuclei (SVN and MVN) that contain canal related """"""""vestibular only"""""""" (VO) neurons which are related to velocity storage. If the hypothesis is correct, then the nodulus and uvula could prove to be an important area for controlling parameters that resolve differences between yaw axis head orientation and changes in gravito-inertial acceleration during locomotion. The studies proposed would take an important step towards understanding and quantifying that control.
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