In certain rodents, the root of the cochlear nerve contains a population of
large neurons, known as cochlear root neurons (CRNs), an essential element
of the primary acoustic startle pathway. To characterize the projections o
f the CRNs, we made stereotaxically guided, iontophoretic injections of bio
tinylated tracers into the cochlear nerve root of albino rats.
CRN axons, which are remarkably thick, enter the trapezoid body, cross the
midline, and ascend in the rostral aspect of the lateral lemniscus to reach
the upper levels of the midbrain. As a group, CRN axons produce a characte
ristic pattern of profusely ramified collaterals that innervate specific br
ainstem regions. The main target of CRN axons is the contralateral pontine
reticular formation, where collaterals terminate in the caudal pontine reti
cular nucleus (PnC) and, to a lesser degree, in the ventrolateral tegmental
area, the oral pontine reticular nucleus, and the rostral and medial paral
emniscal regions. Other targets of CRN axons include the lateral paragigant
ocellular nucleus of both sides, the ipsilateral facial motor nucleus and P
nC, and the contralateral intercollicular tegmentum and superior colliculus
. Notably, CRNs apparently do not innervate any of the nuclei of the audito
ry brainstem, as usually defined, even though their axons pass through or i
n close proximity to them. The fact that CRNs innervate several reticular a
nd tectal structures that mediate auditory alerting and escape behaviors su
ggests that they are "early warning neurons," i.e., true sentinels of the a
uditory pathway. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.