System identification of semicircular canal afferent responses

A system identification analysis was used to obtain linear response characteristics from semicircular canal afferent spike trains. The responses were cross-correlated with pseudorandom binary sequences of rotational acceleration to obtain unit impulse responses in the time domain. Accurate linear system characteristics were obtained via cross-spectral transform and transfer function fitting techniques. The results imply that particular classes of semicircular canal afferents provide information concerning particular ranges of head movement dynamics for processing by central vestibular nuclei. These results are of interest for studying the transduction mechanisms of this receptor and determining its role as an information sensor for adaptive central control processes.