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Mary Gavin, PhD; Sidney Blair, MD, PhD

Arch Otolaryngol. 1981;107(6):372-376.

Abstract
• The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in the macaque was tested by a modified Bárány spinning test before and after subcutaneous administration of 1 mg/kg of picrotoxin. The drug caused a decrease in the nystagmus time constant to a value near that of the cupula and a decrease in nystagmus asymmetry. Picrotoxin prevented diazepam from increasing the time constant of vestibular nystagmus. Furthermore, picrotoxin reduced the nystagmus time constant after vermisectomy, a lesion that increases the nystagmus time constant and prevents some VOR modifications. Because picrotoxin and diazepam interact antagonistically in the -aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system, these results show a role of GABA in the neural network that transforms a short cupula time constant into a longer nystagmus time constant.

(Arch Otolaryngol 1981;107:372-376)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Physiology-Anatomy, University of California, Berkeley (Dr Blair), and the Clinical Investigation Center, Naval Regional Medical Center, Oakland, Calif (Dr Gavin).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Sept 23, 1980.

Reprint requests to the Clinical Investigation Center, Naval Regional Medical Center, Oakland, CA 94627 (Dr Gavin).

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ABSTRACT