Vestibular acoustic reception in the guinea pig: a saccular function?

After complete destruction of cochlear but preservation of vestibular hair cells in the guinea pig acoustically evoked responses can still be recorded from the round window up to the auditory cortex. At all levels these responses differ from those observed in normal animals but their frequency sensitivity and selectivity make them akin to responses from auditory organs. In a series of experiments a complete cochlear destruction was combined with a total or partial destruction of the vestibule. After complete cochlear and vestibular hair cell destruction no acoustic response could be recorded. But in cases of total cochlear and drastic ampullar and utricular destruction together with an almost undamaged saccular sensory epithelium the same peculiar acoustic responses could be observed. These results support the hypothesis of a functional acoustic reception by the saccule in a mammal.