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Vestibular Laboratory of Stephen M. Highstein, MD, PhD
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Contact:
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Stephen M. Highstein, Senior Scientist
Marine Resources Center
7 MBL Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Office: 508-289-7318, (Lab) 508-289-7391
Highstein Lab Website |
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Research Staff:
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Mary Anne Mann, PhD
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Our laboratory studies the peripheral vestibular system and its efferent control by the central nervous system. The peripheral vestibular system is housed within the temporal bone and consists of the organs of balance and equilibrium. The system is bilaterally symmetrical. There are three semicircular canals that sense angular acceleration and two otolithic organs that sense linear acceleration. We study all aspects of the function of these organs from their biomechanics and electro-physiology to their synaptic transmission. These vestibular end organs report the sensations of angular and linear acceleration to the brain via a frequency code of action potentials carried by the VIIIth cranial nerve to the vestibular nuclei within the brainstem. Additionally there is a central nucleus, the efferent vestibular nucleus whose axons travel via the VIIIth nerve TO the peripheral end organs to modify incoming signals. We use both the toadfish, Opsanus tau and the common red-eared slider pond turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans in our studies.
The overarching question driving the laboratory’s work asks how these end organs construct the frequency code that reports the features of motional stimuli to the brain. All available techniques that can be tailored to answer aspects of this question are employed. Some of these techniques involve electrical recording of potentials while others employ optical techniques. We use patch and sharp microelectodes, transmission and fluorescent microscopy and confocal microscopy.
While our laboratory concentrates upon basic vestibular science, we are attune to the needs of clinical medicine to develop therapies for vestibular dysfunction. In our view, basic science adds information that can lead to therapies or cures.
Senior Scientist Stephen M. Highstein
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Education:
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| 1961 |
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B.S. Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
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| 1965 |
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M.D. Medicine, University of Maryland Medical School |
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| 1976 |
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Ph.D. Physiology, University of Tokyo Faculty Medical |
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1962: Summer Fellow, Dept. of Biology, California Institute of Technology
1963 – 1964: Co-worker, Physiology, Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
1965 – 1966: Intern in Medicine, Maimonides Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
1966 - 1969: Resident in Neurology, Mt. Sinai Hospital, NY, NY
1974 – 1976: Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY
1976 – 1981: Associate Professor, Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY
1981 – 1983: Professor of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY
1983 – 2009: Professor, Otolaryngology, Anatomy & Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
2009 – Present: Senior Scientist, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:
Steinacker A Monterrubio J Perez R Highstein SM Potassium Current Composition and Kinetics in Toadfish Semicircular Canal Hair cells Biol Bull 183: 346-347 1992.
Rabbitt RD Boyle R Highstein SM Mechanical indentation of the vestibular labyrinth and its relationship to head rotation in the toadfish, Opsanus tau J Neurophysiol 73: 2237-2260 1995.
Highstein SM Rabbitt RD Boyle R Determinants of semicircular canal response dynamics in the toadfish, Opsanus tau J Neurophysiol 75: 575-596 1996.
Mensinger AF Carey JP Boyle R Highstein SM Differential central projections of physiologically characterized horizontal semicircular canal vestibular afferents in the toadfish Opsanus tau J Comp Neurol 384:71-85 1997.
Silver RB Reeves AP Steinacker A Highstein SM Examination of the cupula and stereocilia of the horizontal semicircular canal in the toadfish, Opsanus tau J Comp Neurol 402:48-61 1998.
Mensinger AF Highstein SM Characteristics of regenerating horizontal semicircular canal afferent and efferent fibers in the toadfish, Opsanus tau J Comp Neurol 410:653-676 1999.
Rabbitt RD Boyle R Highstein SM Influence of surgical plugging on horizontal semicircular canal mechanics and afferent response dynamics J Neurophysiol 82:1033-1053 1999.
Edds-Walton PL Fay RR Highstein SM Dendritic arbors and central projections of physiologically characterized auditory fibers from the saccule of the toadfish, Opsanus tau J Comp Neurol 411:212-238 1999.
Mensinger AF Anderson DJ Buchko CJ Johnson MA Martin DC Tresco PA Silver RB Highstein SM Chronic Recording of Regenerating VIIIth Nerve Axons With a Sieve Electrode J Neurophysiol :83 611-615 2000.
Boyle R Mensinger AF Yoshida K Usui S Intravaia A Tricas T Highstein SM Neural Readaptation to Earth’s Gravity Following Return from Space J Neurophysiol 86: 2118-2122 2001.
Yamauchi A, Rabbitt RD Boyle R Highstein SM. Relationship between inner-ear fluid pressure and semicircular canal afferent nerve discharge JARO 3: 26-44 2001.
Boyle R Highstein SM Carey JP Xu JP Functional recovery of anterior semicircular canal afferents following hair cell regeneration in birds JARO 3:149-166 2002.
Holstein GR Martinelli GP Henderson SC Friedrich VLJr Rabbitt RD Highstein SM gamma-Aminobutyric acid is present in a spatially discrete subpopulation of hair cells in the crista ampullaris of the toadfish Opsanus tau J Comp Neurol: 471 1-10, 2004.
Holstein GR Rabbitt RD Martinelli GP Friedrich VLJr Boyle RD Highstein SM Convergence of excitatory and inhibitory hair cell transmitters shapes vestibular afferent responses PNAS 101: 15766-15771 2004.
Holstein GR Martinelli GP Boyle RD Rabbitt RD Highstein SM Ultrastructural observations of efferent terminals in the crista Ampullaris of the toadfish, Opsanus tau Exp brain Res 155: 265-273 2004.
Rabbitt RD Boyle R Holstein GR Highstein SM Hair-Cell versus Afferent Adaptation in the Semicircular Canals J Neurophysiol 93: 424-436 2005.
Highstein SM Rabbitt RD Holstein GR Boyle R Determinants of spatial and temporal coding by semicircular canal afferents J Neurophysiol 93: 2359-2370, 2005.
Blazquez PM, Hirata Y, and Highstein SM. Chronic changes in inputs to dorsal Y neurons accompany VOR motor learning. J Neurophysiol 95: 1812-1825, 2006.
Highstein SM, and Holstein GR. The anatomy of the vestibular nuclei. Prog Brain Res 151: 157-203, 2006.
Rabbitt RD, Clifford S, Breneman KD, Farrell B, Brownell WE (2009) Power Efficiency of Outer Hair Cell Somatic Electromotility, PLoS Comp. Biol. Jul;5(7):e1000444 PMID:19629162. PMCID: PMC2705677.
Rabbitt RD, Breneman KD, King C, Yamauchi, A, Boyle R and Highstein SM. (2009) Dynamic displacement of normal and detached semicircular canal cupula. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. Dec;10(4):497-509. PMID: 19513793. PMCID: PMC2774407.
Boyle R, Rabbitt RD and Highstein SM (2009) Efferent Control of Hair Cell and Afferent Responses in the Semicircular Canals. In Press J. Neurophysiol. Sep;102(3):1513-25, PMID: 19571186. PMCID: PMC2746798.
Breneman KD, Brownell WE and Rabbitt RD (2009) Hair Cell Bundles: Flexoelectric Motors of the Inner Ear, PLoS One. 4(4): e5201 PMID: 19384413. PMCID: PMC2668172.
Rabbitt RD, Boyle R and Highstein SM. (2010) Amplification by hair cells in the semicircular canals. PNAS. In press.
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