Spike timing regularity in vestibular afferent neurons: How ionic currents influence sensory encoding mechanisms

TL;DR

This paper reviews how ionic currents in vestibular afferent neurons influence their firing regularity and sensory encoding strategies, integrating in vitro ionic current data with in vivo sensory encoding mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of ionic currents in vestibular neurons and links these currents to their firing patterns and sensory encoding.

Findings

Diversity of ion channels affects firing regularity.

Ionic currents enable different sensory encoding strategies.

In vitro ionic data relate to in vivo neuron function.

Abstract

Primary vestibular neurons are categorized as either regularly or irregularly firing afferents that use rate and temporal sensory encoding strategies, respectively. While many factors influence firing in these neurons, recent work in mammalian vestibular afferents has demonstrated a rich diversity in ion channels that drive spiking regularity. Here, I review key ionic currents studied in vitro and demonstrate how they may enable sensory encoding strategies demonstrated in vivo.