bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kinematic Principles of Primate Rotational Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex I. Spatial Organization of Fast Phase Velocity Axes
Authors: Hess Bernhard J. M. , Angelaki Dora E.
Published: December 2017

Hess, Bernhard J. M. and Dora E. Angelaki. Kinematic principles of primate rotational vestibulo-ocular reflex. I. Spatial organization of fast phase velocity axes. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2193–2202, 1997. The spatial organization of fast phase velocity vectors of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) was studied in rhesus monkeys during yaw rotations about an earth-horizontal axis that changed continuously the orientation of the head relative to gravity (“barbecue spit” rotation). In addition to a velocity component parallel to the rotation axis, fast phases also exhibited a velocity component that invariably was oriented along the momentary direction of gravity. As the head rotated through supine and prone positions, torsional components of fast phase velocity axes became prominent. Similarly, as the head rotated through left and right ear-down positions, fast phase velocity axes exhibited prominent vertical components. The larger the speed of head rotation the greater the magnitude of this fast phase component, which was collinear with gravity. The main sequence properties of VOR fast phases were independent of head position. However, peak amplitude as well as peak velocity of fast phases were both modulated as a function of head orientation, exhibiting a minimum in prone position. The results suggest that the fast phases of vestibulo-ocular reflexes not only redirect gaze and reposition the eye in the direction of head motion but also reorient the eye with respect to earth-vertical when the head moves relative to gravity. As further elaborated in the companion paper, the underlying mechanism could be described as a dynamic, gravity-dependent modulation of the coordinates of ocular rotations relative to the head.
PACAP38Modulates Activity of NMDA Receptors in Cultured Chick Cortical Neurons
Authors: Liu Guo Jun , Madsen Barry W.
Published: December 2017

Liu, Guo Jun and Barry W. Madsen. PACAP38modulates activity of NMDA receptors in cultured chick cortical neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2231–2234, 1997. The outside-out recording mode of the patch-clamp technique was used to study modulatory effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP38) on N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activity in cultured chick cortical neurons. Biphasic concentration-dependent effects of PACAP38on channel opening frequency induced by NMDA (20 μM) and glycine (1 μM) were found, with low concentrations (0.5–2 nM) of PACAP38increasing activity and higher concentrations (10–1,000 nM) causing inhibition. These effects were reversible, reduced with higher concentrations of glycine (2–10 μM) but not by 200 μM NMDA, and inhibited by 10 μM 7-chlorokynurenic acid. In addition, 1 μM PACAP6–38(a PACAP antagonist) inhibited channel activity due to 20 μM NMDA and 1 μM glycine by 66%, and this inhibition was reduced to 13% in the additional presence of 2 nM PACAP38. These observations suggest thatPACAP38has a direct modulatory effect on the NMDA receptor that is independent of intracellular second messengers and probably mediated through the glycine coagonist site(s).
Parabrachial Neural Coding of Taste Stimuli in Awake Rats
Authors: Nishijo Hisao , Norgren Ralph
Published: December 2017

Nishijo, Hisao and Ralph Norgren. Parabrachial neural coding of taste stimuli in awake rats. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2254–2268, 1997. In awake, behaving rats, the activity of 74 single neurons in the pontine parabrachial nucleus (PBN) was recorded in response to sapid stimulation by 15 chemicals. Of these, 44 taste cells were tested with all 15 stimuli. Based on their responsiveness to 4 standard stimuli, these neurons were categorized as follows: 23 NaCl-best, 15 sucrose-best, 5 citric acid–best, and 1 quinine HCl-best. Several forms of multivariate analyses indicated that the taste responses matched both the behavioral responses to and, less well, the chemical structure of, the sapid stimuli. A hierarchical cluster analysis of the neurons substantially confirmed the best-stimulus categorization, but separated the NaCl-best cells into those that responded more to Na+-containing salts and those that responded more to Cl−-containing salts. The cells that responded best to the Na+ moiety actually were somewhat more correlated with the sucrose-best cells than with those that responded to the Cl−-containing stimuli. Citric acid–best neurons and the lone quinine-best unit formed a single cluster of neurons that responded well to acids, as well as to NH4Cl and, to a lesser extent, NaNO3. A factor analysis of the neuronal response profiles revealed that three factors accounted for 78.8% of the variance in the sample. Similar analyses of the stimuli suggested that PBN neurons respond to four or five sets of stimuli related by their chemical makeup or by human psychophysical reports. The capacity of rats to make these discriminations has been documented by other behavioral studies in which rodents generalize across sapid chemicals within each of 5 stimulus categories. Furthermore, a simulation analysis of the neural data replicated behavioral results that used amiloride, a Na+ channel blocker, in which rats generalized NaCl to non-Na+, Cl− salts. Thus, using a variety of analyses, in awake rats, the activity of PBN taste neurons tracks their behavioral responses to a variety of chemical stimuli.
Three Kinetically Distinct Ca2+-Independent Depolarization-Activated K+ Currents in Callosal-Projecting Rat Visual Cortical Neurons
Authors: Locke Rachel E. , Nerbonne Jeanne M.
Published: December 2017

Locke, Rachel E. and Jeanne M. Nerbonne. Three kinetically distinct Ca2+-independent depolarization-activated K+ currents in callosal-projecting rat visual cortical neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2309–2320, 1997. Whole cell, Ca2+-independent, depolarization-activated K+ currents were characterized in identified callosal-projecting (CP) neurons isolated from postnatal day 7–16 rat primary visual cortex. CP neurons were identified in vitro after in vivo retrograde labeling with fluorescently tagged latex microbeads. During brief (160-ms) depolarizing voltage steps to potentials between −50 and +60 mV, outward K+ currents in these cells activate rapidly and inactivate to varying degrees. Three distinct K+ currents were separated based on differential sensitivity to 4-aminopyridine (4-AP); these are referred to here as I A, I D, and I K, because their properties are similar (but not identical) K+ currents termed I A, I D, and I K in other cells. The current sensitive to high (≥100 μM) concentrations of 4-AP ( I A) activates and inactivates rapidly; the current blocked completely by low (≤50 μM) 4-AP ( I D) activates rapidly and inactivates slowly. A slowly activating, slowly inactivating current ( I K) remains in the presence of 5 mM 4-AP. I A, I D, and I K also were separated and characterized in experiments that did not rely on the use of 4-AP. All CP cells express all three K+ current types, although the relative densities of I A, I D, and I K vary among cells. The experiments here also have revealed that I A, I D, and I K display similar voltage dependences of activation and steady state inactivation, whereas the kinetic properties of the currents are distinct. At +30 mV, for example, mean ± SD activation τs are 0.83 ± 0.24 ms for I A, 1.74 ± 0.49 ms for I D, and 14.7 ± 4.0 ms for I K. Mean ± SD inactivation τs for I A and I D are 26 ± 7 ms and 569 ± 143 ms, respectively. Inactivation of I K is biexponential with mean ± SD inactivation time constants of 475 ± 232 ms and 3,128 ± 1,328 ms; ∼20% of the 4-AP–insensitive current is noninactivating. For all three components, activation is voltage dependent, increasing with increasing depolarization, whereas inactivation is voltage independent. Both I A and I K recover rapidly from steady state inactivation with mean ± SD recovery time constants of 38 ± 7 ms and 79 ± 26 ms, respectively; I D recovers an order of magnitude more slowly (588 ± 274 ms). The properties of I A, I D, and I K in CP neurons are compared with those of similar currents described previously in other mammalian central neurons and, in the accompanying paper, the roles of these conductances in regulating the firing properties of CP neurons are explored.
In Vitro Appetitive Classical Conditioning of the Feeding Response in the Pond SnailLymnaea stagnalis
Authors: Kemenes György , Staras Kevin , Benjamin Paul R.
Published: December 2017

Kemenes, György, Kevin Staras, and Paul R. Benjamin. In vitro appetitive classical conditioning of the feeding response in the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2351–2362, 1997. An in vitro preparation was developed that allowed electrophysiological analysis of appetitive conditioning of feeding in the model molluscan system, Lymnaea. The network generating the feeding motor program (fictive feeding) is well characterized at the cellular level and consists of identified central pattern generator (CPG) interneurons, motor neurons, and modulatory interneurons. Activation of a modulatory interneuron, the slow oscillator (SO), evokes the three-phase fictive feeding rhythm in the same semi-intact preparations where tactile stimuli can be applied to the lips. By pairing touch as a conditioned stimulus (CS) with stimulation of the SO as an unconditioned stimulus (US), we established an effective in vitro paradigm for appetitive conditioning. Before training, touch to the lips evoked only brief and weak activity in the feeding interneurons and motor neurons. After 6–10 conditioning trials, there was a significant enhancement in the fictive feeding response to CS alone. This was not seen in controls (CS only, US only, random CS and US) and in preparations where there was no initial brief response to touch before conditioning. Direct recordings from the protraction phase N1M interneurons during in vitro conditioning indicated that the enhancement of the fictive feeding is due to an increased activation of these CPG cells by mechanosensory inputs from the lips. We also found that the conditioned response was not due to a facilitated activation of modulatory neurons in the feeding network, such as the SO or the cerebral giant cells (CGCs), because the activity of these cells remained unchanged after conditioning.
Inhibitory Effects of Arachidonic Acid on Nicotinic Transmission in Bullfrog Sympathetic Neurons
Authors: Minota Shoichi , Watanabe Sadahiro
Published: December 2017

Minota, Shoichi and Sadahiro Watanabe. Inhibitory effects of arachidonic acid on nicotinic transmission in bullfrog sympathetic neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2396–2401, 1997. Arachidonic acid (AA, 0.2–40 μM) reversibly reduced the amplitude of the fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials and the underlying currents (fast EPSCs) of bullfrog sympathetic neurons evoked by preganglionic nerve stimulation in a Ca2+-deficient solution. AA reduced the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced nicotinic currents (n IACh) evoked by brief applications of ACh to the ganglion cells in a dose-related manner. AA reduced the maximum amplitude of n IAChestimated from the dose-response relationship without causing an appreciable change in the apparent dissociation constant. Indomethacin (2 μM) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (20 μM), blockers of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways, respectively, had no effect on the inhibition of fast EPSC by AA. AA did not obviously affect the preganglionic nerve terminal spike configuration, synaptic delay, facilitation, quantal content of transmitter release, or the presynaptic long-term potentiation elicited by the repetitive stimulation applied to the preganglionic nerve fibers. These results suggest that AA acts on an allosteric site of the nicotinic receptor-channel complex either directly or indirectly and in turn inhibits ion permeation through these channels without affecting the release of ACh from preganglionic nerve terminals.
First-Spike Timing of Auditory-Nerve Fibers and Comparison With Auditory Cortex
Authors: Heil Peter , Irvine Dexter R. F.
Published: December 2017

Heil, Peter and Dexter R. F. Irvine. First-spike timing of auditory-nerve fibers and comparison with auditory cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2438–2454, 1997. The timing of the first spike of cat auditory-nerve (AN) fibers in response to onsets of characteristic frequency (CF) tone bursts was studied and compared with that of neurons in primary auditory cortex (AI), reported previously. Tones were shaped with cosine-squared rise functions, and rise time and sound pressure level were parametrically varied. Although measurement of first-spike latency of AN fibers was somewhat compromised by effects of spontaneous activity, latency was an invariant and inverse function of the maximum acceleration of peak pressure (i.e., a feature of the 2nd derivative of the stimulus envelope), as previously found in AI, rather than of tone level or rise time. Latency-acceleration functions of all AN fibers were of very similar shape, similar to that observed in AI. As in AI, latency-acceleration functions of different fibers were displaced along the latency axis, reflecting differences in minimum latency, and along the acceleration axis, reflecting differences in sensitivity to acceleration [neuronal transient sensitivity (S)]. S estimates increased with spontaneous rate (SR), but values of high-SR fibers exceeded those in AI. This suggests that S estimates are biased by SR per se, and that unbiased true S values would be less tightly correlated with response properties covarying with SR, such as firing threshold. S estimates varied with CF in a fashion similar to the cat's audiogram and, for low- and medium-SR fibers, matched those for AI neurons. Minimum latency decreased with increasing SR and CF. As in AI, the standard deviation of first-spike timing (SD) in AN was also an inverse function of maximum acceleration of peak pressure. The characteristics of the increase of SD with latency in a given AN fiber/AI neuron and across AN fibers/AI neurons revealed that the precision of first-spike timing to some stimuli can actually be higher in AI than in AN. The data suggest that the basic characteristics of the latency-acceleration functions of transient onset responses seen in cortex are generated at inner hair cell–AN fiber synapses. Implications for signal processing in the auditory system and for first-spike generation and adaptation in AN are discussed.
Hippocampal Interneurons Are Excited Via Serotonin-Gated Ion Channels
Authors: McMahon Lori L. , Kauer Julie A.
Published: December 2017

McMahon, Lori L. and Julie A. Kauer. Hippocampal interneurons are excited via serotonin-gated ion channels. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2493–2502, 1997. Serotonergic neurons of the median raphe nucleus heavily innervate hippocampal GABAergic interneurons located in stratum radiatum of area CA1, suggesting that this strong subcortical projection may modulate interneuron excitability. Using whole cell patch-clamp recording from interneurons in brain slices, we tested the effects of serotonin (5-HT) on the physiological properties of these interneurons. Serotonin produces a rapid inward current that persists when synaptic transmission is blocked by tetrodotoxin and cobalt, and is unaffected by ionotropic glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor antagonists. The 5-HT–induced current was independent of G-protein activation. Pharmacological evidence indicates that 5-HT directly excites these interneurons through activation of 5-HT3 receptors. At membrane potentials negative to −55 mV, the current-voltage ( I-V) relationship of the 5-HT current displays a region of negative slope conductance. Therefore the response of interneurons to 5-HT strongly depends on membrane potential and increases greatly as cells are depolarized. Removal of extracellular calcium, but not magnesium, increases the amplitude of 5-HT–induced currents and removes the region of negative slope conductance, thereby linearizing the I-V relationship. The axons of 5-HT–responsive interneurons ramify widely within CA1; some of these interneurons also project to and arborize extensively in the dentate gyrus. The organization of these inhibitory connections strongly suggests that these cells regulate excitability of both CA1 pyramidal cells and dentate granule cells. As our results indicate that 5-HT may mediate fast excitatory synaptic transmission onto these interneurons, serotonergic inputs can simultaneously modulate the output of both hippocampus and dentate gyrus.
Monkey Cutaneous SAI and RA Responses to Raised and Depressed Scanned Patterns: Effects of Width, Height, Orientation, and a Raised Surround
Authors: Blake David T. , Johnson Kenneth O. , Hsiao Steven S.
Published: December 2017

Blake, David T., Kenneth O. Johnson, and Steven S. Hsiao. Monkey cutaneous SAI and RA responses to raised and depressed scanned patterns: effects of width, height, orientation, and a raised surround. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2503–2517, 1997. The aim of this study was to examine the slowly adapting type I (SAI) and rapidly adapting (RA) primary afferent representation of raised and depressed surface features. Isolated, raised, and depressed squares and small raised squares with a circular surround were scanned across the receptive fields of SAI and RA mechanoreceptive afferents innervating the distal fingerpads of the rhesus monkey. Pattern height ranged from −620 to +620 μm and width ranged from 0.2 to 7.0 mm. The surround radii ranged from 3.0 to 7.0 mm. Previous combined psychophysical and neurophysiological studies have provided evidence that SAI afferent responses are responsible for the perception of spatial form and texture and that RA afferents are responsible for the detection of stimuli that produce minute skin motion (flutter, slip, microgeometric surface features). Our results strengthen these hypotheses. Response properties shared by both SAI and RA afferent types were that both responded only to the edges of the larger raised and depressed patterns, both responded to falling edges half as vigorously as to rising edges, both responded to rising and falling edges with impulse rates that were proportional to the sine of the angle between the edge and the scanning direction, and both had suppressed responses to a small raised surface feature when a raised surround was closer than 6 mm. Response differences consistent with the hypothesis that SAI afferents are specialized for the representation of form were that SAI responses were confined to areas around the features that evoked them in areas that were 40–50% smaller than the comparable RA response areas, SAI responses were more than four times more sensitive to stimulus height than were RA afferents over the range from 280 to 620 μm, and SAI (but not RA) afferents responded 20–50% more vigorously to corners than to edges. Response differences consistent with the hypothesis that RA afferents are specialized for the detection of minute surfaces features were that only RA afferents responded to very small surface depressions, depressed squares 0.8 mm wide, that were detectable by palpation. Mechanisms underlying the many differences in SAI and RA response properties are discussed.
LTP Induction Dependent on Activation of Ni2+-Sensitive Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels, but not NMDA Receptors, in the Rat Dentate Gyrus In Vitro
Authors: Wang Yue , Rowan Michael J. , Anwyl Roger
Published: December 2017

Wang, Yue, Michael J. Rowan, and Roger Anwyl. LTP induction dependent on activation of Ni2+-sensitive voltage-gated calcium channels, but not NMDA receptors, in the rat dentate gyrus in vitro. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2574–2581, 1997. A N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-independent long-term potentiation (LTP) has been investigated in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in vitro in the presence of the NMDAR antagonist, d-2-amino-phosphonopentanoate (50–100 μM), at a concentration thatcompletely blocked NMDAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). LTP of patch-clamped EPSCs was induced by pairing low-frequency evoked EPSCs (1 Hz) with depolarizing voltage pulses designed to predominately open low-voltage–activated (LVA) Ca2+ channels. Voltage pulses alone induced only a short-term potentiation. The LTP was blocked by intracellular application of the rapid Ca2+ chelator bis-( o-aminophenoxy)- N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid, demonstrating that a rise in intracellular Ca2+ is required for the NMDAR-independent LTP induction. The NMDAR-independent LTP induction also was blocked by Ni2+ at a low extracellular concentration (50 μM), which is known to strongly block LVA Ca2+ channels. However, Ni2+ did not inhibit the NMDAR-dependent LTP induced by high-frequency stimulation (HFS). The NMDAR-independent LTP induction was not blocked by high concentrations of the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine (10 μM). The NMDAR-independent LTP was inhibited by the metabotropic glutamate receptor ligand (+)-α-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine. These experiments demonstrate the presence of a NMDAR-independent LTP induced by Ca2+ influx via Ni2+-sensitive, nifedipine-insensitive voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, probably LVA Ca2+ channels. Induction of the NMDAR-independent LTP was inhibited by prior induction of HFS-induced NMDAR-dependent LTP, demonstrating that although the NMDAR-dependent and NMDAR-independent LTP use a different Ca2+ channel for Ca2+ influx, they share a common intracellular pathway.
Innervation Territories of Mechanically Activated C Nociceptor Units in Human Skin
Authors: Schmidt Roland , Schmelz Martin , Ringkamp Matthias , Handwerker Hermann O. , Torebjörk H. Erik
Published: December 2017

Schmidt, Roland, Martin Schmelz, Matthias Ringkamp, Hermann O. Handwerker, and H. Erik Torebjörk. Innervation territories of mechanically activated C nociceptor units in human skin. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2641–2648, 1997. Innervation territories of single mechanically activated C nociceptors in the skin of the leg and foot were explored in normal human subjects. Microneurographic recordings were obtained in the peroneal nerve from 70 mechano-heat responsive (CMH) and 7 mechano-(but not heat) responsive (CM) units. Units were identified by their constant long-latency response to intracutaneous electrical stimulation of their terminals. Responsiveness to mechanical, heat, or transcutaneous electrical stimuli was verified by transient slowing of conduction velocity after activation by such stimuli. We determined their thresholds to mechanical stimuli (mean 33.7 mN, median 30 mN, range 3–750 mN) and heat (mean 42.5°C, median 42.5°C, range 37–49°C). Most mechano-receptive fields (mRFs) were found on the foot dorsum (60 units) and some on the lower leg (14 units) and toes (3 units). Most units had one continuous mRF, but 10 units had more complex fields. Areas of mRFs mapped with a von Frey filament (750 mN) ranged from 10 to 363 mm2 (mean, 106 mm2). The mRFs were oval or irregularly shaped with greatest diameters ranging from 3 to 45 mm. Mean areas of mRFs were largest on the lower leg (198 mm2), smaller on the foot dorsum (88 mm2), and smallest on the toes (35 mm2). Forty-nine of the 77 units had identical mRFs and electro-receptive fields (eRFs). Twenty-six units had larger eRFs than mRFs, whereas the opposite was found for two units only. Areas of eRFs ranged from 16 to 511 mm2 (mean 121 mm2). An estimate of the innervation density based on the present data and the presumed number of C fibers in cutaneous fascicles of the peroneal nerve suggests a considerable overlap of nociceptive endings in the skin. Such overlapping nociceptor innervation in the skin allows for substantial spatial summation in response to punctate noxious stimuli, which may be a prerequisite for high accuracy in localizing painful events from a C-fiber input. The reduction in size of innervation territories distally allows for finer discrimination of spatial dimensions of noxious stimuli distally as compared with proximal regions of the extremities. Mean maximal diameters of the mechano-receptive fields of CMH and CM units on the lower leg (22.3 mm) and foot (15.3 mm) are of similar size as the radius of axon reflex flares evoked by noxious mechanical stimuli in these regions.
Absence of a Prevalent Laminar Distribution of IPSPs in Association Cortical Neurons of Cat
Authors: Contreras Diego , Dürmüller Niklaus , Steriade Mircea
Published: December 2017

Contreras, Diego, Niklaus Dürmüller, and Mircea Steriade. Absence of a prevalent laminar distribution of IPSPs in association cortical neurons of cat. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2742–2753, 1997. The depth distribution of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) was studied in cat suprasylvian (association) cortex in vivo. Single and dual simultaneous intracellular recordings from cortical neurons were performed in the anterior part of suprasylvian gyrus (area 5). Synaptic responses were obtained by stimulating the suprasylvian cortex, 2–3 mm anterior to the recording site, as well as the thalamic lateral posterior (LP) nucleus. Neurons were recorded from layers 2 to 6 and were classified as regular spiking (RS, n = 132), intrinsically bursting (IB, n = 24), and fast spiking (FS, n = 4). Most IB cells were located in deep layers (below 0.7 mm, n = 19), but we also found some IB cells more superficially (between 0.2 and 0.5 mm, n = 5). Deeply lying corticothalamic neurons were identified by their antidromic invasion on thalamic stimulation. Neurons responded with a combination of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and IPSPs to both cortical and thalamic stimulation. No consistent relation was found between cell type or cell depth and the amplitude or duration of the IPSPs. In response to thalamic stimulation, RS cells had IPSPs of 7.9 ± 0.9 (SE) mV amplitude and 88.9 ± 6.4 ms duration. In IB cells, IPSPs elicited by thalamic stimulation had 7.4 ± 1.3 mV amplitude and 84.7 ± 14.3 ms duration. The differences between the two (RS and IB) groups were not statistically significant. Compared with thalamically elicited inhibitory responses, cortical stimulation evoked IPSPs with higher amplitude (12.3 ± 1.7 mV) and longer duration (117 ± 17.3 ms) at all depths. Both cortically and thalamically evoked IPSPs were predominantly monophasic. Injections of Cl− fully reversed thalamically as well as cortically evoked IPSPs and revealed additional late synaptic components in response to cortical stimulation. These data show that the amount of feed forward and feedback inhibition to cat's cortical association cells is not orderly distributed to distinct layers. Thus local cortical microcircuitry goes beyond the simplified structure determined by cortical layers.
Increase of Extracellular Dopamine in Primate Prefrontal Cortex During a Working Memory Task
Authors: Watanabe Masataka , Kodama Tohru , Hikosaka Kazuo
Published: December 2017

Watanabe, Masataka, Tohru Kodama, and Kazuo Hikosaka. Increase of extracellular dopamine in primate prefrontal cortex during a working memory task. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2795–2798, 1997. The dopamine innervation of the prefrontal cortex is involved importantly in cognitive processes, such as tested in working memory tasks. However, there have been no studies directly investigating prefrontal dopamine levels in relation to cognitive processes. We measured frontal extracellular dopamine concentration using in vivo microdialysis in monkeys performing in a delayed alternation task as a typical working memory paradigm and in a sensory-guided control task. We observed a significant increase in dopamine level in the delayed alternation task as compared both with the sensory-guided control task and the basal resting level. The increase was seen in the dorsolateral prefrontal but not in the arcuate or orbitofrontal areas. The increase appeared to reflect the working memory component of the task and was observed mainly in the lip areas of principal sulcus. Although there was no significant difference in dopamine level between delayed alternation and sensory-guided control tasks in the premotor area, significant increases in dopamine concentration were observed during both tasks as compared with the basal resting level, indicating the importance of premotor dopamine for the motor response itself.
Primate Head-Free Saccade Generator Implements a Desired (Post-VOR) Eye Position Command by Anticipating Intended Head Motion
Authors: Crawford J. Douglas , Guitton Daniel
Published: December 2017

Crawford, J. Douglas and Daniel Guitton. Primate head-free saccade generator implements a desired (post-VOR) eye position command by anticipating intended head motion. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2811–2816, 1997. When we glance between objects, the brain ultimately controls gaze direction in space. However, it is currently unclear how this is allocated into separate commands for eye and head movement. To determine the role of desired final eye position commands, and their coordination with intended head movement, we trained three monkeys to make large gaze shifts while wearing opaque goggles with a monocular 8° aperture. Animals eventually developed a new set of context-dependent eye-head coordination strategies, in particular expanding the head range and compressing the eye-in-head range toward the aperture (while wearing the goggles). However, when we shifted the location of the aperture to a different subsection of the normal head-free oculomotor range (by covering the original aperture and creating a new one), eye-head saccades failed to acquire visual targets, because they continued to drive the eye ultimately toward the now occluded original aperture. Even when a head-stationary saccade acquired the new aperture, subsequent head-free saccades drove the eye eccentrically toward a point that anticipated the intended head movement, such that the subsequent vestibuloocular reflex slow phase brought the eye onto the location of the original aperture. Animals could only acquire the new aperture consistently after several days of retraining. These results suggest that 1) eye-head coordination is achieved by a plastic, context-dependent neural operator that uses information about initial eye/head position and intended movement to compute desired combinations of final eye/head position and 2) acquisition of these positions involves sophisticated anticipatory compensations for subsequent movement components, akin to those observed previously in complex oral and manual behaviors.
Responses of MT and MST Neurons to One and Two Moving Objects in the Receptive Field
Authors: Recanzone G. H. , Wurtz R. H. , Schwarz U.
Published: December 2017

Recanzone, G. H., R. H. Wurtz, and U. Schwarz. Responses of MT and MST neurons to one and two moving objects in the receptive field. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2904–2915, 1997. To test the effects of complex visual motion stimuli on the responses of single neurons in the middle temporal visual area (MT) and the medial superior temporal area (MST) of the macaque monkey, we compared the response elicited by one object in motion through the receptive field with the response of two simultaneously presented objects moving in different directions through the receptive field. There was an increased response to a stimulus moving in a direction other than the best direction when it was paired with a stimulus moving in the best direction. This increase was significant for all directions of motion of the non-best stimulus and the magnitude of the difference increased as the difference in the directions of the two stimuli increased. Similarly, there was a decreased response to a stimulus moving in a non-null direction when it was paired with a stimulus moving in the null direction. This decreased response in MT did not reach significance unless the second stimulus added to the null direction moved in the best direction, whereas in MST the decrease was significant when the second stimulus direction differed from the null by 90° or more. Further analysis showed that the two-object responses were better predicted by taking the averaged response of the neuron to the two single-object stimuli than by summation, multiplication, or vector addition of the responses to each of the two single-object stimuli. Neurons in MST showed larger modulations than did neurons in MT with stimuli moving in both the best direction and in the null direction and the average better predicted the two-object response in area MST than in area MT. This indicates that areas MT and MST probably use a similar integrative mechanisms to create their responses to complex moving visual stimuli, but that this mechanism is further refined in MST. These experiments show that neurons in both MT and MST integrate the motion of all directions in their responses to complex moving stimuli. These results with the motion of objects were in sound agreement with those previously reported with the use of random dot patterns for the study of transparent motion in MT and suggest that these neurons use similar computational mechanisms in the processing of object and global motion stimuli.
Analysis of AMPA Receptor Properties During Postnatal Development of Mouse Hippocampal Astrocytes
Authors: Seifert Gerald , Zhou Min , Steinhäuser Christian
Published: December 2017

Seifert, Gerald, Min Zhou, and Christian Steinhäuser. Analysis of AMPA receptor properties during postnatal development of mouse hippocampal astrocytes. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2916–2923, 1997. Glial cells in the mammalian brain express various types of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, including glutamate receptors (GluRs) of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-subtype. In the present study we followed developmental changes in the functional properties of AMPA receptor (AMPA-R) channels expressed by astrocytes of the mouse hippocampus between postnatal days (P) 5–35 to learn more about the physiological significance of these glial receptors. A fast concentration clamp technique was applied to cells acutely isolated from the CA1 stratum radiatum subregion to quantitatively analyze rapidly activating and desensitizing receptor responses.

The equilibrium responses of glutamate and kainate differed between P5 and P12. Although the maximum current induced by kainate was almost the same at all developmental stages, a steep rise in the maximum glutamate response was observed within the same time range. Between P5 and P12 there was an increase in the potentiation of AMPA-R currents with cyclothiazide (CTZ); at the same time, the dissociation kinetics of CTZ became significantly slower. These changes in the pharmacological properties suggested a variation in splice variant expression. With proceeding maturation, we observed an increase in the degree of desensitization of the glutamate- and AMPA-induced receptor currents. In addition to the shift in flip/flop splicing, these findings could hint at a developmental regulation of RNA editing in the arginine/glycine site.

Altogether, the present results demonstrate changes in astrocytic AMPA-R functioning early in postnatal development, although after P12 the receptor properties remained almost constant. Although the overall Ca2+ permeability did not vary during development, the prolonged receptor opening in the early postnatal period causes an enhanced Na+/Ca2+ influx into the immature astrocytes. This could influence glial proliferation and differentiation during CNS ontogenesis.
Reorganization of the Raccoon Cuneate Nucleus After Peripheral Denervation
Authors: Rasmusson Douglas D. , Northgrave Stacey A.
Published: December 2017

Rasmusson, Douglas D. and Stacey A. Northgrave. Reorganization of the raccoon cuneate nucleus after peripheral denervation. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2924–2936, 1997. The effects of peripheral nerve transection on the cuneate nucleus were studied in anesthetized raccoons using extracellular, single-unit recordings. The somatotopic organization of the cuneate nucleus first was examined in intact, control animals. The cuneate nucleus in the raccoon is organized with the digits represented in separate cell clusters. The dorsal cap region of the cuneate nucleus contains a representation of the claws and hairy skin of the digits. Within the representation of the glabrous skin, neurons with rapidly adapting properties tended to be segregated from those with slowly adapting properties. The representations of the distal and proximal pads on a digit also were segregated. Electrical stimulation of two adjacent digits provided a detailed description of the responses originating from the digit that contains the tactile receptive field (the on-focus digit) and from the adjacent (off-focus) digit. Stimulation of the on-focus digit produced a short latency excitation in all 99 neurons tested, with a mean of 10.5 ms. These responses had a low threshold (426 μA). Stimulation of an off-focus digit activated 65% of these neurons. These responses had a significantly longer latency (15.3 ms) than on-focus responses and the threshold was more than twice as large. Two to five months after amputation of digit 4, 97 cells were tested with stimulation of digits 3 and 5. A total of 44 were in the intact regions of the cuneate nucleus. They had small receptive fields on intact digits and their responses to electrical stimulation did not differ from the control neurons. The remaining 53 neurons were judged to be deafferented and in the fourth digit region on the basis of their location with respect to intact neurons. All but two of these cells had receptive fields that were much larger than normal, often including more than one digit and part of the palm. When compared with the off-focus control neurons, their responses to electrical stimulation had lower thresholds and an increased response probability and magnitude. The latencies of these cells did not decrease, however, and were the same as the off-focus control values. The enhanced responses of the deafferented neurons to adjacent digit stimulation indicate that there is a strengthening of synapses that were previously ineffective. The increased proportion of neurons that could be activated after amputation suggests that there is also a growth of new connections. This experiment demonstrates that reorganization in the adult somatotopic system does occur at the level of the dorsal column nuclei. As a consequence, many of the changes reported at the cortex and thalamus may be due to the changes occurring at this first synapse in the somatosensory pathway.
Characterization of Gating and Peptide Block ofmSlo, a Cloned Calcium-Dependent Potassium Channel
Authors: Sullivan Deirdre A. , Holmqvist Mats H. , Levitan Irwin B.
Published: December 2017

Sullivan, Deirdre A., Mats H. Holmqvist, and Irwin B. Levitan. Characterization of gating and peptide block of mSlo, a cloned calcium-dependent potassium channel. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2937–2950, 1997. The 20 amino acid Shaker inactivation peptide blocks mSlo, a cloned calcium-dependent potassium channel. Changing the charge and degree of hydrophobicity of the peptide alters its blocking kinetics. A “triple mutant” mSlo channel was constructed in which three amino acids (T256, S259, and L262), equivalent to those identified as part of the peptide's receptor site in the S4–S5 cytoplasmic loop region of the Shaker channel, were mutated simultaneously to alanines. These mutations produce only limited changes in the channel's susceptibility to block by a series of peptides of varying charge and hydrophobicity but do alter channel gating. The triple mutant channel shows a significant shift in its calcium-activation curve as compared with the wild-type channel. Analysis of the corresponding single amino acid mutations shows that mutation at position L262 causes the most dramatic change in mSlo gating. These results suggest that the three amino acids mutated in the mSlo S4–S5 loop may contribute to, but are not essential for, peptide binding. On the other hand, they do play a critical role in the channel's calcium-sensing mechanism.
Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Are Involved in Long-Term Potentiation in Isolated Slices of Rat Medial Frontal Cortex
Authors: Vickery R. M. , Morris Shanida H. , Bindman Lynn J.
Published: December 2017

Vickery, R. M., Shanida H. Morris, and Lynn J. Bindman. Metabotropic glutamate receptors are involved in long-term potentiation in isolated slices of rat medial frontal cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3039–3046, 1997. The prelimbic region of medial frontal cortex in the rat receives a direct input from the hippocampus and this functional connection is essential for aspects of spatial memory. Activity-dependent changes in the effectiveness of synaptic transmission in the medial frontal cortex, namely long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) can persist for tens of minutes or hours and may be the basis of learning and memory storage. Glutamatergic activation of ionotropic receptors is required to induce both LTP and LTD. We now present evidence of the involvement of metabotropic glutamate receptors in LTP in isolated slices of frontal cortex. Repetitive bursts of stimulation at theta frequencies (TBS) were applied to layer II, and monosynaptic EPSPs were monitored in layer V neurons of the prelimbic area. TBS was found to be more effective at inducing LTP than tetanic stimulation at 100 Hz and produced LTP that lasted >30 min in 8 out of 14 neurons. Tetanic stimulation at 100 Hz in the presence of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (AP5) was reported to be a reliable method of inducing LTD in prelimbic cortex ( Hirsch and Crépel 1991 ). However we found that this protocol did not facilitate the induction of LTD. The role of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) in LTP was assessed by using the selective, broad-spectrum antagonist (R, S)-α-methyl-4- carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG). This drug significantly reduced the incidence of LTP after TBS to only 1 of 14 neurons ( P < 0.02, χ2 test). The pooled responses to TBS in MCPG showed significantly reduced potentiation [( P < 0.02, analysis of variance (ANOVA)]. The broad-spectrum mGluR agonist (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD) and the selective group I agonist S-3 hydroxyphenylglycine(S-3HPG) both produced membrane depolarization, an increase in number of spikes evoked by depolarizing current pulses, and a reduction in the afterhyperpolarization. Similar effects were produced by these agonists even when synaptic transmission was blocked by use of the γ-aminobutyric acid-B (GABAB) receptor agonist, 200 μM baclofen, which suggests that group I mGluRs are present on layer V neurons. We conclude that mGluRs participate in the production of LTP in prelimbic cortex, and that this excitatory effect could be mediated by the postsynaptic group I mGluRs.
Motor Patterns and Kinematics During Backward Walking in the Pacific Giant Salamander: Evidence for Novel Motor Output
Authors: Ashley-Ross Miriam A. , Lauder George V.
Published: December 2017

Ashley-Ross, Miriam A. and George V. Lauder. Motor patterns and kinematics during backward walking in the Pacific Giant Salamander: evidence for novel motor output. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3047–3060, 1997. Kinematic and motor patterns during forward and backward walking in the salamander Dicamptodon tenebrosus were compared to determine whether the differences seen in mammals also apply to a lower vertebrate with sprawling posture and to measure the flexibility of motor output by tetrapod central pattern generators. During treadmill locomotion, electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from hindlimb muscles of Dicamptodon while simultaneous high-speed video records documented movement of the body, thigh, and crus and allowed EMGs to be synchronized to limb movements. In forward locomotion, the trunk was lifted above the treadmill surface. The pelvic girdle and trunk underwent smooth side-to-side oscillations throughout the stride. At the beginning of the stance phase, the femur was protracted and the knee joint extended. The knee joint initially flexed in early stance and then extended as the foot pushed off in late stance, reaching maximum extension just before foot lift-off. The femur retracted steadily throughout the stance. In the swing phase, the femur rapidly protracted, and the leg was brought forward in an “overhand crawl” motion. In backward walking, the body frequently remained in contact with the treadmill surface. The pelvic girdle, trunk, and femur remained relatively still during stance phase, and most motion occurred at the knee joint. The knee joint extended throughout most of stance, as the body moved back, away from the stationary foot. The knee flexed during swing. Four of five angles showed significantly smaller ranges in backward than in forward walking. EMGs of forward walking showed that ventral muscles were coactive, beginning activity just before foot touchdown and ceasing during the middle of stance phase. Dorsal muscles were active primarily during swing. Backward locomotion showed a different pattern; all muscles except one showed primary activity during the swing phase. This pattern of muscle synergy in backward walking never was seen in forward locomotion. Also, several muscles demonstrated lower burst rectified integrated areas (RIA) or durations during backward locomotion. Multivariate statistical analysis of EMG onset and RIA completely separated forward and backward walking along the first principal component, based on higher RIAs, longer durations of muscle activity, and greater synergy between ventral muscles during early stance in forward walking. Backward walking in Dicamptodon uses a novel motor pattern not seen during forward walking in salamanders or during any other locomotor activity in previously studied tetrapods. The central neuronal mechanisms mediating locomotion in this primitive tetrapod are thus capable of considerable plasticity.
Conditioning-Related Protection From Acoustic Injury: Effects of Chronic Deefferentation and Sham Surgery
Authors: Kujawa Sharon G. , Liberman M. Charles
Published: December 2017

Kujawa, Sharon G. and M. Charles Liberman. Conditioning-related protection from acoustic injury: effects of chronic deefferentation and sham surgery. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3095–3106, 1997. The inner ear can be made less vulnerable to acoustic injury by a “conditioning” treatment involving exposure to a moderate-level acoustic stimulus before the acoustic overexposure. The present study was designed to explore the role of the olivocochlear (OC) system in this “protection.” Guinea pigs were divided into a number of groups: some (trauma-only) were exposed to a traumatic noise for 4 h at 109 dB SPL; others (condition/trauma) were conditioned by daily exposure to the same noise at 85 dB SPL before the traumatic exposure. In OC-intact animals, the condition/trauma group showed significantly less permanent threshold shift (PTS) than the trauma-only group as measured via compound action potentials and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Other animals with identical noise-exposure regimens underwent deefferentation surgery before the start of conditioning: the OC bundle (OCB) was cut in the brain stem, either at the midline (cutting the crossed OCB to both ears) or at the sulcus limitans (cutting all OC fibers to 1 side). Lesion success was quantified by measuring OC fascicles to the outer hair cell region in each ear. The results from the surgical groups showed that total loss of the OCB significantly increased the noise-induced PTS, whereas loss of the COCB only did not; that the conditioning exposure in deefferented animals increased, rather than decreased, the PTS from the traumatic exposure; and that animals undergoing sham surgery (brain stem cuts that failed to transect the OCB) appeared protected whether or not they received the conditioning noise exposure. The latter result suggests that conditioning-related protection may arise from a generalized stress response, which can be elicited by noise exposure, brain surgery, or a variety of other means. The former results make an OC role in the conditioning process, per se, difficult to assess, given the large effects of OC activity on general acoustic vulnerability.