bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microstimulation of the primate neostriatum. II. Somatotopic organization of striatal microexcitable zones and their relation to neuronal response properties
Authors: Alexander G. E. , DeLong M. R.
Published: December 2017

Sensorimotor response properties of neostriatal neurons were characterized in conjunction with assessments of the motor effects of intrastriatal microstimulation in unanesthetized rhesus monkeys. Neuronal activity and microexcitability were assessed at 250- to 500-micron intervals and, in some cases, at 25- to 100-micron intervals. The results are based on the functional characterization of 878 putamen and 224 caudate neurons and analysis of the effects of microstimulation at each of these recording sites. Recording/stimulation sites were located between stereotaxic planes A6 and A22 in 81 microelectrode tracks from three monkeys. A total of 443 (50.4%) putamen neurons showed discrete responses to the sensorimotor examination. Of neurons with sensorimotor responses, 232 (52.4%) showed increased rates of discharge in relation to both active and passive movements of specific body parts. An additional 193 (43.6%) cells increased their rates of discharge only during the monkey's active movements of specific body parts. The remaining 18 (4.0%) cells appeared to respond exclusively to passive somatosensory stimulation. The sensorimotor response areas of putamen neurons ranged in size from an entire limb to a single joint. Putamen neurons were somatotopically organized throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the nucleus. Neurons with sensorimotor response areas involving the leg were located in the dorsolateral putamen, those with orofacial representations were located ventromedially, and those with arm representations were located in an intermediate position. Microstimulation evoked discrete movements of individual body parts at 21.6% of the 878 putamen sites. Over 95% (181/190) of the effective sites were located within the central half of the rostrocaudal extent of the putamen, between stereotaxic planes A10 and A17. The pattern of somatotopic organization revealed by microstimulation was the same as that derived from sensorimotor response properties of putamen neurons. Moreover, a close correspondence was observed between the movements evoked from a given SMZ and the functional properties of local neurons. In contrast to the results obtained in the putamen, none of the 224 stimulation sites in the caudate nucleus was microexcitable, and only 17 (7.6%) of the caudate neurons had definable sensorimotor response properties. This is consistent with the view that the primate putamen, by virtue of its anatomic connections with the sensorimotor and premotor cortical fields, is more directly involved in motor functions, whereas the caudate nucleus, by virtue of its connections with cortical ”association“ areas, is involved in more complex behavioral functions.
Three forms of the scratch reflex in the spinal turtle: central generation of motor patterns
Authors: Robertson G. A. , Mortin L. I. , Keifer J. , Stein P. S.
Published: December 2017

A turtle with a complete transection of the spinal cord, termed a spinal turtle, exhibits three types or “forms” of the scratch reflex: the rostral scratch, pocket scratch, and caudal scratch (21). Each scratch form is elicited by tactile stimulation of a site on the body surface innervated by afferents entering the spinal cord caudal to the transection. We recorded electromyographic (EMG) potentials from the hindlimb during each of the three forms of the scratch in the spinal turtle (see Fig. 1). Common to all scratch forms is the rhythmic alternation of the activity of the hip protractor muscle (VP-HP) and hip retractor muscle (HR-KF). Each form of the scratch displays a characteristic timing of the activity of the knee extensor muscle (FT-KE) with respect to the cycle of activity of the hip muscles VP-HP and HR-KF. In a rostral scratch, activation of FT-KE occurs during the latter portion of VP-HP activation. In a pocket scratch, activation of FT-KE occurs during HR-KF activation. In a caudal scratch, activation of FT-KE occurs after the cessation of HR-KF activation. The timing characteristics of these muscle activity patterns correspond to the timing characteristics of changes in the angles of the knee joint and the hip joint obtained with movement analyses (21). We recorded electroneurographic (ENG) potentials from peripheral nerves of the hindlimb during each of the three forms of the “fictive” scratch in the spinal turtle immobilized with neuromuscular blockade (see Fig. 4). Common to all forms of the fictive scratch is the rhythmic alternation of the activity of hip protractor motor neurons (VP-HP) and hip retractor motor neurons (HR-KF). Each form displays a characteristic timing of the activity of knee extensor motor neurons (FT-KE) with respect to the cycle of VP-HP and HR-KF motor neuron activity. The timing characteristics of these motor neuron activity patterns are similar to the timing characteristics of the muscle activity patterns obtained in the preparation with movement (cf. Figs. 1 and 4). The motor pattern for each scratch form is generated centrally within the spinal cord. In the spinal immobilized preparation, neuromuscular blockade prevents both limb movement and phasic sensory input, and complete spinal transection isolates the cord from supraspinal input.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Human eye movements associated with blinks and prolonged eyelid closure
Authors: Collewijn H. , van der Steen J. , Steinman R. M.
Published: December 2017

Eye movements associated with eyelid closure were recorded in human subjects with search coils, embedded in self-adhering scleral annuli, in a magnetic field. In contrast to classical notions, voluntary as well as reflex blinks were consistently accompanied by transient downward and nasalward movements of both eyes with amplitudes 1-5 degrees. These eye movements had a shorter duration than the upper lid movements, and the shapes of the spatial trajectories of eye and lid movements were not similar. The trajectory of the eye movements was only modestly affected by gaze eccentricities up to 15 degrees; there was a tendency for the downward component to be enhanced by looking upward, and vice versa. Restraining of the lids of one eye in the open or closed position did not significantly alter the eye movements during (attempted) blinks. Velocity-amplitude-duration relations of the down- and upward components were similar for the same eye before and after closure and for the closed eye and the contralateral unrestrained eye. The velocity-amplitude-duration characteristics of saccades were also unaffected by prolonged closure of the lids of one eye. Prolonged, voluntary closure of the lids was followed by a slow, tonic ocular deviation, which was consistently upward in half of the subjects and consistently downward in the other half. Additional horizontal components were highly variable even within subjects. In one subject the downward deviation was converted into upward deviation when lid closure was mechanically impeded. We conclude that elevation of the eye ball (Bell's phenomenon) does not occur during short blinks and only in about half of the subjects during voluntary unrestrained prolonged lid closure. Our evidence does not support the possibility that the transient eye movements during blinks are caused primarily by a mechanical interaction between the lids and the eye (or the scleral annulus). More likely, they are a secondary effect of an active cocontraction of extraocular muscles that primarily results in retraction of the eye.
The role of cerebral cortex in the generation of voluntary saccades: a positron emission tomographic study
Authors: Fox P. T. , Fox J. M. , Raichle M. E. , Burde R. M.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to define the location and behavior of cerebral structures within the normal human brain that participate in the generation of voluntary saccadic eye movements. Changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during task performance were assumed to reflect like changes in regional neuronal activity induced by the task. The locations of all rCBF changes were described in stereotaxic coordinates. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and bolus intravenous injection of H2(15)O. The use of H2(15)O with PET allowed six, seven-slice measurements of brain blood flow to be made in rapid sequence for each subject, without removing the subject from the tomograph between scans. Nine paid normal volunteers were studied. The paradigm included three saccadic eye-movement (SEM) conditions, one finger-movement condition and two control conditions (initial and final). The three SEM conditions allowed comparisons to be drawn between targeted versus untargeted SEMs, auditorily cued versus visually cued SEMs, and stochastic versus rhythmic SEMs. All tasks were simple and deterministic in that each movement exactly mirrored the preceding movement: finger flexion then extension, saccade-left then saccade-right. Saccadic eye movements were associated with rCBF increases within the frontal eye fields, the supplementary motor area, and the cerebellum. Finger movements were associated with rCBF changes within the sensorimotor hand areas, the supplementary motor area, and the cerebellum. The frontal eye fields were discrete cortical regions consistently active during the generation of voluntary SEMs and uninfluenced by target presence, type of cue, or task complexity, indicating a predominantly motor function. The supplementary motor area (SMA) was consistently active during all motor tasks and was uninfluenced by the degree of task complexity or stochasticity. A role for SMA in establishing "motor set" during both simple and complex motor tasks is suggested. An anterior-posterior somatotopy was found for SMA-eye (anterior) versus SMA-hand (posterior). Lateral occipital visual association cortex activation was present only during targeted saccadic conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Influence of the globus pallidus on arm movements in monkeys. III. Timing of movement-related information
Authors: Anderson M. E. , Horak F. B.
Published: December 2017

Monkeys were trained to make a visually triggered arm-reaching movement to a lighted button in a simple reaction-time paradigm, during which the reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT) were measured. Stimulus trains of varying duration were applied at various times before and during the movement at locations in the globus pallidus where application of long stimulus trains caused increased MTs. A critical stimulus period was identified during which stimulus application effectively prolonged MTs. The activity of pallidal neurons was examined during performance of the same behavioral task. More than 60% of the neurons examined showed task-related changes in activity that began before or during the reaching movement. For 45% of these cells, the initial change in firing occurred during the critical stimulus period, 50-150 ms before mechanically detected movement. Comparison of the critical stimulus period, the time of task-related changes in the discharge of pallidal neurons, and the time of EMG activity in muscles acting at the back, shoulder, elbow, and wrist revealed that both the critical stimulus period and changes in neuronal discharge occurred at or after initial muscle activation and during the buildup of EMG activity. These data are consistent with a model in which the globus pallidus plays a role in scaling the magnitude of muscle activity that determines movement velocity without affecting the initiation or sequential organization of the programmed motor output.
A17: a broad-field amacrine cell in the rod system of the cat retina
Authors: Nelson R. , Kolb H.
Published: December 2017

A17 amacrine cells of the cat retina have been penetrated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-filled microelectrodes and their light responses recorded. These cells depolarize in sustained fashion to steps of light. Viewed in retinal wholemounts, HRP-injected cells have a spokelike radiating splay of very fine dendrites (0.1 micron diam) passing diffusely through all strata of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) to run primarily in strata 4 and 5. There are as many as 1,000 large, regularly spaced beads borne on the 500- to 1,200-micron diameter dendritic field. Cell body sizes range from 9 to 13 micron. In the electron microscope, the dendritic beads in sublamina b of the IPL are seen to synapse reciprocally with rod bipolar axon terminals. Dendritic beads in sublamina a rarely make synapses, but between the beads in this layer, input from at least three distinctive amacrine profiles occurs. Though diffuse at the light microscopic level, A17 thus appears to be structurally bistratified, with amacrine input in sublamina a and bipolar input in sublamina b. It is likely that A17 can be identified with AI. A17 signals are driven almost exclusively by rods. The spectral sensitivity peaks at 507 nm, identical with that of pigment epithelial cells. Light adaptation abolishes all but a small hyperpolarizing component of the signal. The overall intensity-response range is similar to that of AII amacrine cells. When receptive fields of A17 cells are mapped with slit stimuli, a broad, single-component curve is measured approximately covering the dendritic field. The receptive field is well described by a linear electrical model with a mean space constant of 259 +/- 97 micron (SD). On the other hand, responses to centered slit stimuli of varying width yielded space constants of only 38 +/- 29 micron. A17 amacrines are thus broad-field components of the cat's rod system but with very little capacity for spatial integration. Receptive-field measurements are not supportive of the notion of isolated dendritic regions.
Contrast gain control in the cat's visual system
Authors: Ohzawa I. , Sclar G. , Freeman R. D.
Published: December 2017

We have examined the idea that the adaptation of cortical neurons to local contrast levels in a visual stimulus is functionally advantageous. Specifically, cortical cells may have large differential contrast sensitivity as a result of adjustments that center a limited response range around a mean level of contrast. To evaluate this notion, we measured contrast-response functions of cells in striate cortex while systematically adapting them to different contrast levels of stimulus gratings. For the majority of cortical neurons tested, the results of this basic experiment show that contrast-response functions shift laterally along a log-contrast axis so that response functions match mean contrast levels in the stimulus. This implies a contrast-dependent change in the gain of the cell's contrast-response relationship. We define this process as contrast gain control. The degree to which this contrast adjustment occurs varies considerably from cell to cell. There are no obvious differences regarding cell type (simple vs. complex) or laminar distribution. Contrast gain control is almost certainly a cortical function, since lateral geniculate cells and fibers exhibit only minimal effects. Tests presented in the accompanying paper (37) provide additional evidence on the cortical origin of the process. In another series of experiments, the effect of contrast adaptation on physiological estimates of contrast sensitivity was evaluated. Sustained adaptation to contrast levels as low as 3% was capable of nearly doubling the thresholds of most of the cells tested. Adaptation may therefore be an important factor in determinations of the contrast sensitivity of cortical neurons. We tested the spatial extent of the mechanisms responsible for these gain-control effects by attempting to adapt cells using both a large grating and a grating patch limited to that portion of a cell's receptive field from which excitatory discharges could be elicited directly (the central discharge region). Adaptation was found to be an exclusive property of the central region. This held even in the case of hypercomplex cells, which received strong influences from surrounding regions of the visual field. Finally, we measured the time course of contrast adaptation. We found the process to be rather slow, with a mean time constant of approximately 6 s. Once again, there was considerable variability in this value from cell to cell.
Pulvinar nuclei of the behaving rhesus monkey: visual responses and their modulation
Authors: Petersen S. E. , Robinson D. L. , Keys W.
Published: December 2017

We have examined the properties of neurons in three subdivisions of the pulvinar of alert, trained rhesus monkeys 1) an inferior, retinotopically mapped area (PI), 2) a lateral, retinotopically organized region (PL), and 3) a dorsomedial visual portion of the lateral pulvinar (Pdm), which has a crude retinotopic organization. We tested the neurons for visual responses to stationary and moving stimuli and for changes in these responses produced by behavioral manipulations. All areas contain cells sensitive to stimulus orientation as well as neurons selective for the direction of stimulus movement; however, the majority of cells in all three regions are either broadly tuned or nonselective for these attributes. Nearly all cells respond to stimulus onset, a significant number also give a response to stimulus termination, and rarely a cell gives only off responses. Nearly all cells increase their discharge rate to visual stimuli. Receptive fields in the two retinotopically mapped regions, PI and PL, have well-defined borders. The sizes of these receptive fields show a positive correlation with the eccentricity of the receptive fields. The receptive fields in the remaining region, Pdm, are frequently very large, but with these large fields excluded, show a similar correlation with eccentricity. All pulvinar cells tested (n = 20) were mapped in retinal coordinates; the receptive fields are positioned in relation to the retina. We found no cells with gaze-gated characteristics (2), nor cells mapped in a spatial coordinate system. The response latencies in PI and PL are shorter and less variable than the latencies in Pdm. Active use of a stimulus can produce an enhancement or attenuation of the visual response. Eye-movement modulation was found in all three subdivisions in about equal frequencies. Attentional modulation was common in Pdm and was rare in PI and PL. The modulation is spatially selective in Pdm and nonselective in PI for a small number of tested cells. These data demonstrate functional differences between Pdm and the other two areas and suggest that Pdm plays a role in selective visual attention, whereas PI and PL probably contribute to other aspects of visual perception.
Low-threshold, slow-inactivating Na+ potentials in the cockroach giant axon
Authors: Yawo H. , Kojima H. , Kuno M.
Published: December 2017

Electrophysiological properties of the ventral giant axon in the abdominal nerve cord of the cockroach were studied by recording intracellular potentials following partial or complete block of the K+ conductance. When the K+ conductance was completely blocked by tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 3,4-diaminopyridine, the intensity of depolarizing currents necessary for eliciting the action potential was markedly decreased, and the action potential was followed by a prolonged plateau potential. During the plateau potential following the spike, the input resistance was significantly reduced. The plateau potential was not affected by changing the external Ca2+ concentration but depended on the external Na+ concentration in a manner expected from the Nernst equation and was blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX). During the plateau potential, the Na+ conductance responsible for the spike was inactivated, whereas immediately after the plateau potential a newly evoked spike was not followed by a plateau potential, suggesting different inactivation kinetics between the spike and plateau Na+ conductances. When the K+ conductance was partially blocked by TEA alone, slow depolarizing responses were evoked at voltage levels a few millivolts more positive than the resting potential. The "threshold" for the slow potential was much lower than that for the spike potential. The slow potential produced after partial block of the K+ conductance was not affected by alterations of the external Ca2+ concentration but was blocked by TTX or in a Na+-free solution. Even in normal medium, a small TTX-sensitive depolarizing response was discernible. This response was similar in its time course and threshold to the slow potential observed after partial block of the K+ conductance. It is concluded that the cockroach giant axon has two populations of Na+ channels, which can be distinguished by differences in time course and voltage levels for activation and that the slow, low-threshold Na+-dependent potential is largely masked by delayed increases in the K+ conductance under normal conditions. It remains uncertain whether the low-threshold slow potential and the plateau potential originate from the same or different populations of Na+ channels.
Visual and oculomotor signals in nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis in alert monkey
Authors: Crandall W. F. , Keller E. L.
Published: December 2017

A small region in the dorsal midline portion of the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP) in monkeys contains neurons that respond to focal visual stimuli or during saccadic eye movements or both. None of these cells or any others in this region respond to the motion of large visual fields (optokinetic stimulation), although such responses were specifically sought. Thus, this group of NRTP neurons forms a completely different set of cells than those previously described in more rostral but closely adjacent portions of the pontine nuclei which respond well to optokinetic stimulation. The most frequently encountered cell type in this region of NRTP (153 neurons) produced a high-frequency burst of discharges during saccadic eye movements. Neural discharge (burst intensity or duration) was not related to saccade metrics. Instead, peak burst frequency and/or the number of spikes in a unit's burst reached a maximum when the saccade moved the eyes to a circumscribed region (movement field) of the animal's visual field. There were two subtypes of these burst neurons. In one type (44%) the movement fields were smaller and entirely contained within the oculomotor range. In the other type (56%) the movement fields consisted of a whole sector (some as wide as 180 degrees) of the entire oculomotor range. All the neurons in this sample that we were able to test in total darkness continued to produce bursts of discharges of similar profile during spontaneous saccades into their movement field. All the movement fields were retinotopically organized, although a few cells (22%) showed a marked variation of burst metrics with initial eye position. Another small group of cells in NRTP (8 neurons) responded to small spots of light turned on within a circumscribed region of the visual field while the animal maintained fixation on a separate spot of light. These visual neurons produced no saccade-related discharge. A larger group of neurons (24 out of 52 tested cells) produced both a visual response and a saccadic burst. The visual field of this type of cell was always smaller and was contained within the movement field of the cell. The response of both types of NRTP visual neurons was enhanced when the visual stimulus was to be the target for a saccadic eye movement. On double-saccade trials the visual stimulus was never present in the hemifield containing the cell's visual field.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Site of impulse initiation in tendon organs of cat soleus muscle
Authors: Gregory J. E. , Morgan D. L. , Proske U.
Published: December 2017

A continuing controversy surrounds the question of whether Golgi tendon organs are examples of receptors in which impulses may be generated at more than one site. This paper reports a systematic examination of a number of models incorporating single or multiple impulse generators and of the compatibility of their predictions with experimental observations. Two phenomena, in particular, that must be accounted for are nonlinear summation and cross-adaptation. When two motor units each with a direct effect on the tendon organ are stimulated together, the rate of discharge is greater than either individual rate but is less than their sum. In cross-adaptation a conditioning response elicited by one motor unit contraction produces adaptation of the discharge associated with stimulation of a second motor unit. A model with a central impulse generator can be modified to account for nonlinear summation by postulating a nonlinear transformation in the generator current-to-impulse rate conversion. Experiments measuring summation of responses to stimulation of three inputs produced results that did not support this model. Another variation of the model, which had a nonlinearity in the tension-to-current step and cross-connections (mechanical or neural) between tendon strands stressed by contracting muscle fibers, was able to account for the observations. A second model that provided the right predictions was a multiple impulse generator with cross-connections. Which of the two models best fits the experimental observations can be decided by comparing the calculated summation coefficients and cross-adaptation coefficients. A central impulse generator predicts a negative correlation, the multiple impulse generator a positive correlation. All of the observations were made using tendon organs of cat soleus muscle. Responses were recorded to stimulation of filaments of ventral root. In a comparison between 20 pairs of responses from six tendon organs the correlation between summation and cross-adaptation coefficients was found to be significantly positive. We conclude that the tendon organ model that accurately predicts all of the experimental observations incorporates multiple generators.
Laminar profile of resistivity in frog retina
Authors: Karwoski C. J. , Frambach D. A. , Proenza L. M.
Published: December 2017

Measurements of absolute transretinal resistance and of the relative resistance of the various retinal layers were obtained in the frog. The resistance of clamped sections of isolated retina was 66 omega . cm2, which results in an average resistivity (rho) between inner and outer limiting membranes of 5,050 omega . cm. In eyecups, relative resistances (obtained by passing constant currents across the retina) were assigned to specific layers of the retina with the aid of physiological criteria (e.g., depths of light-evoked field potentials, changes in extracellular K+ concentration, base-line noise level, and resistance). These relative resistances were then converted to absolute values, a calculation feasible because the region between inner and outer limiting membranes, which has the same structure in both isolated and eyecup retinas, could be specified during experiments. Resistivities (in omega . cm) for the retinal layers include 1) subretinal space, 970; 2) inner and outer nuclear layers, 6,800; and 3) inner plexiform layer, 1,750. The ganglion cell and optic nerve fiber layers were too thin to resolve individually, but rho of the two layers combined was 7,900. The outer plexiform layer was also too thin to reliably resolve, but its rho is likely the same as the inner plexiform layer. The extracellular space volume fraction (alpha) of the retinal layers was estimated from these rho s, and the following values were obtained: 1) subretinal space, 0.12; 2) outer and inner nuclear layers, 0.03; 3) inner and outer plexiform layers, 0.11; and 4) ganglion cell and optic nerve fiber layers, 0.02. The decreased rho and increased alpha of the inner plexiform layer and the subretinal space, compared with that of the nuclear layers, are expected from their anatomy. A consideration of these inhomogeneities is required in analyses of field potentials and of changes in extracellular ionic concentrations.
Ascending pathways in the spinal cord involved in triggering of diffuse noxious inhibitory controls in the rat
Authors: Villanueva L. , Peschanski M. , Calvino B. , Le Bars D.
Published: December 2017

Recordings were made from convergent neurons in trigeminal nucleus caudalis of the rat. These neurons were activated by both innocuous and noxious mechanical stimuli applied to their excitatory receptive fields located on the ipsilateral part of the muzzle. Transcutaneous application of suprathreshold 2-ms square-wave electrical stimuli to the center of the excitatory field resulted in responses to C-fiber activation being observed (mean latencies 63.6 +/- 5.5 ms). This type of response was inhibited by applying noxious conditioning stimuli to heterotopic body areas, namely immersing either the left or right hindpaw in a 52 degrees C water bath. A virtually total block of the response was observed during the application of the noxious conditioning stimulus, and this was followed by long-lasting poststimulus effects. Such inhibitory processes have been termed diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) (39, 40). The effects on these inhibitions of various transverse lesions of the cervical spinal cord were investigated in acute experiments; tests were performed before and at least 30 min after the spinal section. While the unconditioned C-fiber responses were unaltered, the inhibitory processes could be impaired by the cervical lesions, although these effects depended on the part of the cervical cord destroyed and the side of application of the conditioning stimulus. Lesioning dorsal, dorsolateral, and ventromedial parts of the cervical cord was found not to affect inhibitory processes triggered from either hindpaw. The overlapping of the regions of these ineffective lesions revealed that two remaining regions were not destroyed, that is, the left and right ventrolateral quadrants. In experiments where the left anterolateral quadrant was affected by the surgical procedure the inhibition triggered from the right hindpaw was strongly reduced, whereas that elicited by left hindpaw stimulation was not diminished. The loss of inhibitory effects was characterized by a complete disappearance of poststimulus effects, whereas inhibition observed during the application of the noxious thermal conditioning stimulus was only partially, albeit very significantly, blocked. To ascertain further the mainly crossed nature of the pathways responsible for the heterotopic inhibitory processes, the effects of lumbar commissurotomy were investigated. Again the unconditioned C-fiber responses were unaltered by this procedure, whereas the inhibitory processes, whether triggered from the left or right hindpaw, were strongly depressed in all the experiments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Modulation of transmission in rostral trigeminal sensory nuclei during chewing
Authors: Olsson K. A. , Sasamoto K. , Lund J. P.
Published: December 2017

Eighty-one sensory neurons in the rostral trigeminal sensory nuclei (main sensory nucleus, nucleus oralis, and the lateral border zone of the motor nucleus) were recorded in urethan-anesthetized rabbits before and during mastication. Receptive-field characteristics were described, and responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the inferior alveolar and infraorbital nerves, sensorimotor cortex, and thalamus were recorded. Forty-four percent of neurons were stimulated by the movements of mastication; nevertheless, evidence is presented that the excitability of the 49 neurons that receive low-threshold mechanoreceptor inputs is depressed during mastication for the following reasons: The spontaneous activity of seven cells was inhibited during movement. The probability of firing in response to stimulation of the peripheral nerve on sensorimotor cortex was decreased during mastication. There was usually a corresponding increase in the latency of the action potentials. Injections of local anesthetic (prilocaine hydrochloride, 4%) into the receptive field of the neuron did not prevent the decrease in excitability during mastication. Fourteen neurons that received inputs from periodontal pressoreceptors were recorded medial to most of the low-threshold group. The excitability of six of these was reduced during jaw closure and during the occlusal phase of movement, that is, within the period in which they would be activated by pressure on the teeth. The rest were tonically suppressed. Eighteen neurons recorded in the lateral border zone of the motor nucleus had receptive fields that were of high threshold or were undefined. They responded to stimulation of the peripheral nerve at high threshold. The excitability of most of these neurons was strongly phase modulated during mastication. They were most excitable during jaw closure or during the occlusal phase of movement and inexcitable during opening. The excitability of the others was tonically depressed. In most cases, the changes in excitability described did not seem to be due to the patterns of activity of the neurons that were generated by the movements. We conclude that the pattern elaborated by the central pattern generator includes selective modifications of sensory transmission. One reason for this is to suppress reflex responses to low-threshold inputs while maintaining the protective response to tissue damage.
Effects of interaural time delays of noise stimuli on low-frequency cells in the cat's inferior colliculus. I. Responses to wideband noise
Authors: Yin T. C. , Chan J. C. , Irvine D. R.
Published: December 2017

We examined the responses of low-frequency neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) of the cat to interaurally delayed, wideband noise stimuli. The stimuli were pseudorandom noise signals that were generated digitally with a nominal bandwidth of 60-4,000 Hz. We also compared the responses to noise with those obtained from interaural phase differences of pure tones. We studied 144 neurons with characteristic frequencies below 2.5 kHz. Eighty-five percent (85%) of these were sensitive to changes in both interaural time differences (ITDs) of noise and interaural phase differences of pure tones, only 2% were sensitive to one stimulus but not the other, and the remainder were insensitive to both stimuli. For most cells the discharge rate was modulated in an approximately cyclic fashion by changes in ITDs of the wideband noise stimuli. The maximal spike counts often occurred near zero ITD, and there was considerable variability in the nature of the cycling, though it usually disappeared for ITDs greater than +/- 4,000 microseconds. The position of the central peak was usually (65%) within the physiologically relevant range of +/- 400 microseconds, and most (80%) occurred at positive ITDs, which corresponded to delays to the ipsilateral stimulus. In general, the shapes of the responses were not affected by changes in stimulus level above threshold. As long as identical noises were delivered to both ears, the responses were not sensitive to the particular noise stimulus used. When uncorrelated noises were delivered to the two ears, there was no sensitivity to ITDs. Composite curves were computed by linear summation of the responses to ITDs of pure tones at frequencies spaced at equal intervals throughout each cell's response area. The shapes of composite curves were similar to the responses of the same cell to ITDs of wideband noise stimuli. The positions of the central peaks of these two functions were highly correlated (r = 0.91, slope = 0.97). The values of characteristic delay and characteristic phase computed from the tonal responses were found to be good indicators of the shapes of the noise delay curves. Characteristic phases (CPs) near zero were associated with noise delay curves symmetric about the central peak, CPs near 0.5 cycles with those symmetric about the trough, while CPs between 0 and 0.5 or between 0.5 and 1.0 had noise delay curves that were asymmetric with a prominent trough to the left or right, respectively, of the central peak.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Multiple axon collaterals of single corticospinal axons in the cat spinal cord
Authors: Shinoda Y. , Yamaguchi T. , Futami T.
Published: December 2017

To investigate intraspinal branching patterns of single corticospinal neurons (CSNs), we recorded extracellular spike activities from cell bodies of 408 CSNs in the motor cortex in anesthetized cats and mapped the distribution of effective stimulating sites for antidromic activation of their terminal branches in the spinal gray matter. To search for all spinal axon branches belonging to single CSNs in the "forelimb area" of the motor cortex, we microstimulated the gray matter from the dorsal to the ventral border at 100-micron intervals at an intensity of 150-250 microA and systematically mapped effective stimulating penetrations at 1-mm intervals rostrocaudally from C3 to the most caudal level of their axons. From the depth-threshold curves, the comparison of the antidromic latencies of spikes evoked from the gray matter and the lateral funiculus, and the calculated conduction times of the collaterals, we could ascertain that axon collaterals were stimulated in the gray matter rather than stem axons in the corticospinal tract due to current spread. Virtually all CSNs examined in the forelimb area of the motor cortex had three to seven branches at widely separated segments of the cervical and the higher thoracic cord. In addition to terminating at the brachial segments, they had one to three collaterals to the upper cervical cord (C3-C4), where the propriospinal neurons projecting to forelimb motoneurons are located. About three quarters of these CSNs had two to four collaterals in C6-T1. This finding held true for both fast and slow CSNs. About one third of the CSNs in the forelimb area of the motor cortex projected to the thoracic cord below T3. These CSNs also sent axon collaterals to the cervical spinal cord. CSNs in the "hindlimb area" of the motor cortex had three to five axon branches in the lumbosacral cord. These branches were mainly observed at L4 and the lower lumbosacral cord. None of these CSNs had axon collaterals in the cervical cord. CSNs terminating at different segments of the cervical and the thoracic cord were distributed in a wide area of the motor cortex and were intermingled. To determine the detailed trajectory of single axon branches, microstimulation was made at a matrix of points of 100 or 200 micron at the maximum intensity of 30 microA, and their axonal trajectory was reconstructed on the basis of the location of low-threshold foci and the latency of antidromic spikes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Altered synaptic transmission in dentate gyrus of rats reared in complex environments: evidence from hippocampal slices maintained in vitro
Authors: Green E. J. , Greenough W. T.
Published: December 2017

Pre- and postsynaptic responses to activation of medial perforant path (MPP) axons were examined in hippocampal slices taken from rats reared for 3-4 wk in relatively complex (EC) or individual cage (IC) environments. Three types of extracellular field potentials were recorded in the infrapyramidal blade of the dentate gyrus: 1) granule cell population spikes (PSs), which reflect the number and synchrony of discharging granule cells (2), 2) population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), which reflect the amount of excitatory synaptic current flow into dendrites (28), and 3) presynaptic fiber volleys (FVs), which reflect the number of activated axons (28). Stimulation of the MPP evoked significantly larger PSs in slices taken from EC rats. There was no significant effect of rearing environment on PS/EPSP relationships. The slopes of EPSPs recorded at the site of synaptic activation in the dentate molecular layer and at the major current source in the dentate granule cell layer were significantly greater in slices taken from EC rats. The presynaptic FV was recorded at the site of synaptic activation in the molecular layer. FV amplitude did not differ significantly as a function of rearing environment. To examine possible differences in tissue impedance, granule cells were activated by stimulating granule cell axons in the dentate hilus and recording the antidromic PS in the granule cell layer. Antidromic PS amplitude was not significantly affected by rearing environment. The relative permanence of the experience-dependent alterations in synaptic transmission was assessed by comparing slices taken from rats that had been reared for 4 wk in complex environments followed by 3-4 wk in individual cages with those from rats reared for 7-8 wk in individual cages. There were no significant differences in MPP synaptic transmission between these groups of animals. The results suggest that experience in a relatively complex environment is associated with greater MPP synaptic transmission arising from an increased synaptic input to granule cells; the greater MPP synaptic transmission associated with behavioral experience can occur independent of behavioral state, influences from extrahippocampal brain regions and intrahippocampal inhibitory activity; and the experience-dependent synaptic alterations in the dentate gyrus are transient, in contrast to experience-dependent morphological alterations described in occipital cortex. The possible relationship of these alterations to the phenomenon of long-term enhancement is discussed.
Multiple time axes for representation of echo delays in the auditory cortex of the mustached bat
Authors: Suga N. , Horikawa J.
Published: December 2017

The properties of the orientation sound (pulse) of the Jamaican mustached bat, Pteronotus parnellii parnellii is the same as the Panamanian mustached bat, P.p. rubiginosus. It consists of four harmonics, each containing a long constant-frequency (CF) component followed by a short frequency-modulated (FM) component. Thus, there are eight components in total: CF1-4 and FM1-4. The combination-sensitive area of the auditory cortex in P.p. parnellii consists of two major divisions (FM-FM and CF/CF areas) as in P.p. rubiginosus. The FM-FM area projects to the dorsal fringe (DF) and other areas. Response latencies of neurons in the DF area are longer than those in the FM-FM area. The distribution of latencies is unimodal for the FM-FM area, but bimodal for the DF area. In this electrophysiological study of the response properties of neurons in the DF and FM-FM areas, our aim was to find out how signal processing might be different between the two areas. Both the FM-FM and DF areas consist of three types of FM-FM combination-sensitive neurons: FM1-FM2, FM1-FM3, and FM1-FM4. They do not respond or respond poorly to pulse alone, echo alone, single CF tones or single FM sounds. But they show strong facilitation of response to the echo when it is delivered with particular delays from the pulse. The essential elements in the pulse-echo pair for facilitation are the FM1 of the pulse and FM2 or FM3 or FM4 of the echo. In both the FM-FM and DF areas, the great majority of neurons show short-lasting facilitation, and other neurons show long-lasting facilitation. FM-FM neurons are tuned to particular echo delays, i.e., target ranges. In both the FM-FM and DF areas, the width of a delay-tuning curve is linearly related to the value of a best delay. There is no sign that processing of range information is more specialized in the DF area than the FM-FM area. In both the FM-FM and DF areas, three types of FM-FM neurons form independent clusters. Along the major axis of each cluster, best delays for facilitative responses of neurons systematically change according to the loci of the neurons. The more posterior the location, the longer the best delay is. Therefore, there are six time (i.e., range) axes in total. The time axis in the DF area is shorter than that in the FM-FM area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Aminergic modulation in lobster stomatogastric ganglion. II. Target neurons of dopamine, octopamine, and serotonin within the pyloric circuit
Authors: Flamm R. E. , Harris-Warrick R. M.
Published: December 2017

In the preceding paper, we describe how dopamine, octopamine, and serotonin modulate the neural circuit generating a well-described motor pattern, the pyloric rhythm of the stomatogastric ganglion in the spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus. In this paper, we identify the neurons within the pyloric circuit that are directly affected by each amine. We accomplished this by isolating each pyloric neuron from all known synaptic input, using a combination of Lucifer yellow photoinactivation of presynaptic neurons and pharmacological blockade by pyloric neurotransmitters. Dopamine, octopamine, and serotonin were bath applied to the preparation, and the responses of synaptically isolated neurons were recorded. Each amine had a unique constellation of effects on the neurons of the pyloric circuit. Almost every neuron in the circuit was directly affected by each amine. Dopamine and octopamine modulated every neuron, whereas serotonin affected four of the six cell types. Each amine had multiple effects among pyloric neurons including the induction of endogenous rhythmic bursting activity, initiation or enhancement of tonic firing activity, and inhibition accompanied by hyperpolarization. All three amines induced rhythmic bursting in one neuron (the AB neuron), but the form of the underlying slow-wave membrane-potential oscillations was different with octopamine than with dopamine and serotonin. Our knowledge of the effects of each amine on each pyloric neuron, combined with the extensive knowledge of the synaptic organization of the pyloric circuit, has allowed us to explain qualitatively the major aspects of the unique variants of the pyloric motor rhythm that each amine produces in the synaptically intact circuit.
Spatial receptive-field properties of direction-selective neurons in cat striate cortex
Authors: Baker C. L. , Cynader M. S.
Published: December 2017

Responses of direction-selective neurons in cat striate cortex (area 17) were studied with flashed-bar stimuli. Spatial parameters of interactions within the receptive field giving rise to direction selectivity and of receptive-field subunits were quantitatively determined for the same cells and correlated. A bar stimulus flashed sequentially at two nearby locations in the receptive field produced direction-selective behavior comparable with that elicited by continuously moving stimuli. Each cell exhibited a characteristic optimal spatial displacement, Dopt, for which responses in the presumed preferred and null directions were maximally distinct. In all cases, Dopt was much smaller than the receptive-field size. The spatial structure of receptive fields in simple cells was studied using single narrow-bar stimuli flashed at different locations in the receptive field. The resulting line-weighting function exhibited alternating regions of ON and OFF responses having a characteristic spatial period or wavelength, lambda. Spatial subunit structure in complex cells was determined by flashing two bars simultaneously in the receptive field. The response as a function of bar separation was again a wavelike function having a spatial wavelength, lambda. Values of the optimal displacement for direction selectivity, Dopt, showed a clear relationship with the spatial wavelength, lambda, for a given unit. Dopt was also correlated to a somewhat lesser degree with receptive-field size. Generally, the ratio of Dopt to lambda was approximately 1/10 to 1/4, in agreement with theoretical predictions by Marr and Poggio. Taken together with the findings of Movshon et al., these results indicate a systematic relationship between Dopt and the spatial frequency of a sinusoidal grating, which is optimal for that cell. Such a relationship is consistent with the results of human psychophysical experiments on apparent motion.