Acetylcholine and the efferent vestibular system

The efferent vestibular system (EVS) has two effects on afferent activity: 1) increases background afferent discharge; and 2) decreases afferent sensitivity to rotational stimuli. What cellular mechanisms might contribute to these responses? In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates (University of Pittsburgh) talks with Lauren Poppi (University of Newcastle, Australia) and Alan Brichta (University of Newcastle, Australia) about their recent article in which they expore the hypothesis that "the reduction in afferent sensitivity was attributed, in part, to the activation of alpha9-containing nAChRs ( 9nAChRs) and small-conductance potassium channels (SK) in vestibular type II hair cells." Listen to learn about their methods, the results, and more!

ACh-induced hyperpolarization and decreased resistance in mammalian type II vestibular hair cells
Lauren Ashlee Poppi, Hessam Tabatabaee, Hannah Rose Drury, Phillip Jobling, Robert J Callister, Americo A. Migliaccio, Paivi M Jordan, Joseph Christopher Holt, Richard D Rabbitt, Rebecca Lim, and Alan Martin Brichta
Journal of Neurophysiology, published online November 14, 2017. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00030.2017.