Vestibular influence on tongue activity.

The vestibular system was electrically stimulated in cats anesthetized with ketamine. Peripheral stimulation by an electrode positioned in the vestibule evoked torsional contralateral eye deviations and an electromyogram (EMG) response in a contralateral dorsal neck extensor. Consistently associated with this well documented vestibular pattern was an EMG response in tongue protrusive muscles, at a latency of 13 +/- 5 (means +/- SD) ms. Stimulation in a specific part of the rostroventral lateral vestibular nucleus elicited the same combination of responses: torsional contralateral eye deviations, dorsal neck EMG, and tongue EMG at a latency of 14 +/- 3 ms. Possible tongue activation by current spread to peripheral and central neural structures was examined in detail. Cerebellar, V, VII, cochlear, IX, X, and XII nerve influences were considered. On the basis of combined evidence, it was concluded that the vestibular system does influence tongue activity.