Table 1.
Characteristics of medullary reticular formation (MRF) neurons
| Neurons responsive to PN and UB distension (n = 48) | Neurons responsive to PN but NOT UB distension (n = 46) | |
|---|---|---|
| Background activity | ||
| Neurons with spontaneous background activity | 37.5% | 26.1% |
| Mean spontaneous background activity (spikes s−1) | 14.7 ± 1.9 | 18.2 ± 3.7 |
| Neuronal responses | ||
| Percentage of neurons excitatory | 77.1% | 87.0% |
| Percentage of neurons inhibitory | 20.8%* | 6.5% |
| Percentage of neurons complex | 2.1% | 6.5% |
| Response latencies | ||
| PN | 141.1 ± 11.6 ms | 140.3 ± 12.5 ms |
| DNP | 152.7 ± 13.1 ms | 160.9 ± 18.1 ms |
| Vagus | 196.8 ± 25.8 ms | 195.2 ± 19.6 ms |
| UB distension | 3.8 ± 0.6 s | NA |
| Colon distension | 3.7 ± 0.6 s | 2.5 ± 0.5 s |
*
Significantly different (χ2, P < 0.05) from those MRF neurons not responding to (UB) distension. PN, pelvic nerve; DNP, dorsal nerve of the penis; NA, not applicable.