Vestibular microphonic potentials in pigeons

Summary Electrical responses to acoustic stimuli were measured by placing thin wire electrodes in the vestibular system of a pigeon model. Responses were measured after extirpation of the cochlea and the application of tetrodotoxin to the perilymphatic space. Responses seen were comparable to those of known cochlear microphonic potentials. These findings indicate that acoustic stimuli can evoke microphonic potentials in the vestibular system of the pigeon. We also found that vibrational amplitudes of less than 1 nm were sufficient to evoke a vestibular microphonic potential.Presented at the 22nd Workshop on Inner Ear Biology, Würzburg, Federal Republic of Germany, 15–18 September 1985