Abstract
1. Forty-three neurones were isolated in the cat gracile nucleus that could be driven by electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral forefoot or the contralateral hind food as well as having a normal low threshold localized receptive field on the ipsilateral hind limb. 2. Twenty-five (58%) of the cells were found to have axons projecting to the contralateral ventrobasal thalamus. 3. Most of the cells could only be driven from the 'widefield' receptive field on the forefoot or contralateral hindfoot by percutaneous electrical stimulation. 4. These results are discussed in the context of a model of the gracile nucleus in whick these occasional 'widefield' connexions are considered to be errors in connectivity which are not normally effective due to the patterns of excitation and inhibition in the normally functioning nucleus. 5. In this model, electrical stimulation is an abnormal type of stimulation that can drive cells through these erroneous connexions.
Full text
PDF










Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- ANDERSEN P., ECCLES J. C., OSHIMA T., SCHMIDT R. F. MECHANISMS OF SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN THE CUNEATE NUCLEUS. J Neurophysiol. 1964 Nov;27:1096–1116. doi: 10.1152/jn.1964.27.6.1096. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- ANDERSEN P., ECCLES J. C., SCHMIDT R. F., YOKOTA T. IDENTIFICATION OF RELAY CELLS AND INTERNEURONS IN THE CUNEATE NUCLEUS. J Neurophysiol. 1964 Nov;27:1080–1095. doi: 10.1152/jn.1964.27.6.1080. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Angaut-Petit D. The dorsal column system: II. Functional properties and bulbar relay of the postsynaptic fibres of the cat's fasciculus gracilis. Exp Brain Res. 1975 May 22;22(5):471–493. doi: 10.1007/BF00237349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Baker M. A. Spontaneous and evoked activity of neurones in the somatosensory thalamus of the waking cat. J Physiol. 1971 Sep;217(2):359–379. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009576. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Barron D. H., Matthews B. H. Intermittent conduction in the spinal cord. J Physiol. 1935 Aug 22;85(1):73–103. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1935.sp003303. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Basbaum A. I., Wall P. D. Chronic changes in the response of cells in adult cat dorsal horn following partial deafferentation: the appearance of responding cells in a previously non-responsive region. Brain Res. 1976 Nov 5;116(2):181–204. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(76)90899-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Berkley K. J. Response properties of cells in ventrobasal and posterior group nuclei of the cat. J Neurophysiol. 1973 Sep;36(5):940–952. doi: 10.1152/jn.1973.36.5.940. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Blomqvist A., Westman J. Interneurons and initial axon collaterals in the feline gracile nucleus demonstrated with the rapid Golgi technique. Brain Res. 1976 Jul 30;111(2):407–410. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(76)90785-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Blum P., Bromberg M. B., Whitehorn D. Population analysis of single units in the cuneate nucleus of the cat. Exp Neurol. 1975 Jul;48(1):57–78. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(75)90222-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bowsher D. Place and modality analysis in caudal reticular formation. J Physiol. 1970 Aug;209(2):473–486. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1970.sp009175. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bromberg M. B., Blum P., Whitehorn D. Quantitative characteristics of inhibition in the cuneate nucleus of the cat. Exp Neurol. 1975 Jul;48(1):37–56. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(75)90221-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brown A. G., Gordon G., Kay R. H. A study of single axons in the cat's medial lemniscus. J Physiol. 1974 Jan;236(1):225–246. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010432. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Curry M. J. The exteroceptive properties of neurones in the somatic part of the posterior group (PO). Brain Res. 1972 Sep 29;44(2):439–462. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(72)90313-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dart A. M., Gordon G. Some properties of spinal connections of the cat's dorsal column nuclei which do not involve the dorsal columns. Brain Res. 1973 Aug 17;58(1):61–68. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(73)90823-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dostrovsky J. O., Millar J., Wall P. D. The immediate shift of afferent drive to dorsal column nucleus cells following deafferentation: a comparison of acute and chronic deafferentation in gracile nucleus and spinal cord. Exp Neurol. 1976 Sep;52(3):480–495. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(76)90219-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fuller J. H., Schlag J. D. Determination of antidromic excitation by the collision test: problems of interpretation. Brain Res. 1976 Aug 13;112(2):283–298. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(76)90284-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- GORDON G., JUKES M. G. DUAL ORGANIZATION OF THE EXTEROCEPTIVE COMPONENTS OF THE CAT'S GRACILE NUCLEUS. J Physiol. 1964 Sep;173:263–290. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007456. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- GORDON G., PAINE C. H. Functional organization in nucleus gracilis of the cat. J Physiol. 1960 Sep;153:331–349. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1960.sp006537. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hand P. J. Lumbosacral dorsal root terminations in the nucleus gracilis of the cat. Some observations on terminal degeneration in other medullary sensory nuclei. J Comp Neurol. 1966 Feb;126(2):137–156. doi: 10.1002/cne.901260201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jabbur S. J., Baker M. A., Towe A. L. Wide-field neurons in thalamic nucleus ventralis posterolateralis of the cat. Exp Neurol. 1972 Aug;36(2):213–238. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(72)90019-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Johansson H., Silfvenius H. Connexions from large, ipsilateral hind limb muscle and skin afferents to the rostral main cuneate nucleus and to the nucleus X region in the cat. J Physiol. 1977 Feb;265(2):395–428. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1977.sp011722. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KRUGER L., SIMINOFF R., WITKOVSKY P. Single neuron analysis of dorsal column nuclei and spinal nucleus of trigeminal in cat. J Neurophysiol. 1961 Jul;24:333–349. doi: 10.1152/jn.1961.24.4.333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KUYPERS H. G., TUERK J. D. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CORTICAL FIBRES WITHIN THE NUCLEI CUNEATUS AND GRACILIS IN THE CAT. J Anat. 1964 Apr;98:143–162. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Millar J., Basbaum A. I. Topography of the projection of the body surface of the cat to cuneate and gracile nuclei. Exp Neurol. 1975 Oct;49(1 Pt 1):281–290. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(75)90211-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Millar J., Basbaum A. I., Wall P. D. Restructuring of the somatotopic map and appearance of abnormal neuronal activity in the gracile nucleus after partial deafferentation. Exp Neurol. 1976 Mar;50(3):658–672. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(76)90035-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- PERL E. R., WHITLOCK D. G., GENTRY J. R. Cutaneous projection to second-order neurons of the dorsal column system. J Neurophysiol. 1962 May;25:337–358. doi: 10.1152/jn.1962.25.3.337. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- POGGIO G. F., MOUNTCASTLE V. B. THE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF VENTROBASAL THALAMIC NEURONSSTUDIED IN UNANESTHETIZED MONKEYS. J Neurophysiol. 1963 Sep;26:775–806. doi: 10.1152/jn.1963.26.5.775. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rustioni A., Macchi G. Distribution of dorsal root fibers in the medulla oblongata of the cat. J Comp Neurol. 1968 Sep;134(1):113–126. doi: 10.1002/cne.901340107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Uddenberg N. Functional organization of long, second-order afferents in the dorsal funiculus. Exp Brain Res. 1968;4(4):377–382. doi: 10.1007/BF00235702. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WALL P. D. PRESYNAPTIC CONTROL OF IMPULSES AT THE FIRST CENTRAL SYNAPSE IN THE CUTANEOUS PATHWAY. Prog Brain Res. 1964;12:92–118. doi: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)60619-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WINTER D. L. N. GRACILIS OF CAT. FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION AND CORTICOFUGAL EFFECTS. J Neurophysiol. 1965 Jan;28:48–70. doi: 10.1152/jn.1965.28.1.48. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williams W. J., BeMent S. L., Yin T. C., McCall W. D., Jr Nucleus gracilis responses to knee joint motion: a frequency response study. Brain Res. 1973 Dec 21;64:123–140. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(73)90174-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
