bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burst Firing and Modulation of Functional Connectivity in Cat Striate Cortex
Authors: Snider R. K. , Kabara J. F. , Roig B. R. , Bonds A. B.
Published: December 2017

Snider, R. K., J. F. Kabara, B. R. Roig, and A. B. Bonds. Burst firing and modulation of functional connectivity in cat striate cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 730–744, 1998. We studied the influences of the temporal firing patterns of presynaptic cat visual cortical cells on spike generation by postsynaptic cells. Multiunit recordings were dissected into the activity of individual neurons within the recorded group. Cross-correlation analysis was then used to identify directly coupled neuron pairs. The 22 multiunit groups recorded typically showed activity from two to six neurons, each containing between 1 and 15 neuron pairs. From a total of 241 neuron pairs, 91 (38%) had a shifted cross-correlation peak, which indicated a possible direct connection. Only two multiunit groups contained no shifted peaks. Burst activity, defined by groups of two or more spikes with intervals of ≤8 ms from any single neuron, was analyzed in terms of its effectiveness in eliciting a spike from a second, driven neuron. We defined effectiveness as the percentage of spikes from the driving neuron that are time related to spikes of the driven neuron. The effectiveness of bursts (of any length) in eliciting a time-related response spike averaged 18.53% across all measurements as compared with the effectiveness of single spikes, which averaged 9.53%. Longer bursts were more effective than shorter ones. Effectiveness was reduced with spatially nonoptimal, as opposed to optimal, stimuli. The effectiveness of both bursts and single spikes decreased by the same amount across measurements with nonoptimal orientations, spatial frequencies and contrasts. At similar firing rates and burst lengths, the decrease was more pronounced for nonoptimal orientations than for lower contrasts, suggesting the existence of a mechanism that reduces effectiveness at nonoptimal orientations. These results support the hypothesis that neural information can be emphasized via instantaneous rate coding that is not preserved over long intervals or over trials. This is consistent with the integrate and fire model, where bursts participate in temporal integration.
Characterization of Carbachol-Induced Rhythmic Bursting Discharges in Neurons From Guinea Pig Lateral Septum Slices
Authors: Carette Bernard
Published: December 2017

Carette, Bernard. Characterization of carbachol-induced rhythmic bursting discharges in neurons from guinea pig lateral septum slices. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1042–1055, 1998. A brain slice preparation from guinea pigs and intracellular recording techniques were used to examine the effects of carbachol application on the three classes (A, B, and C) of neurons ( n = 68, 40 of class A, 12 of class B, 16 of class C) within the mediolateral part of the lateral septum (LSml). Bath application of carbachol elicited a sustained depolarization associated with an increase in membrane input resistance, action-potential firing and triggered rhythmic bursting discharges in 59% of recorded neurons. According to the configuration of these bursts, LSml neurons were classified into type I, II, and III neurons with reference to their response to carbachol. The frequency of spontaneous bursts was increased by depolarization caused by applied DC current in the three types of neurons. Bursts in type II and III neurons were voltage and dose dependent. These dependences were responsible for a continuum of variation in carbachol responses in these two types of neurons. As the neuron depolarized in the presence of carbachol, spontaneous action potentials increased in frequency and slow afterdepolarizing potentials (sADPs) appeared and preceded the occurrence of the first burst. These sADPs from adjacent action potentials appeared to progressively increase to initiate a burst. In the presence of carbachol, sADPs and bursts were also observable after action potentials evoked by depolarizing current pulses at the resting membrane potential (RMP) in LSml neurons. Evoked sADPs and bursts were associated with an apparent increase in input conductance. Application of low Na+ medium blocked both the sADP and bursts. Application of zero Ca2+ medium either 1) blocked completely the generation of sADPs and bursts ( n = 16), or 2) did not block bursts ( n = 14). Evoked sADPs and bursts were blocked by tetraethylammonium but were resistant to external Cs+. The results indicate that the activation of cholinergic receptors does not differentially affect the three classes of LSml neurons. The responses to carbachol in type II and III neurons form a continuum of variation, whereas these of type I neurons constitute a discrete entity. The selective cholinergic induction of a sADP, and the progressive activation of these sADPs in LSml neurons are thought to be responsible for the onset of the three types of rhythmic bursting discharges. We propose that sADPs and bursts induced by carbachol are generated by a cationic conductance largely permeable to Na+. In a subpopulation of LSml neurons ( n = 16), the bursts are dependent on the presence of Ca2+ in the medium.
Serotonin Reduces Polysynaptic Inhibition via 5-HT1A Receptors in the Superficial Entorhinal Cortex
Authors: Schmitz Dietmar , Gloveli Tengis , Empson Ruth M. , Heinemann Uwe
Published: December 2017

Schmitz, Dietmar, Tengis Gloveli, Ruth M. Empson, and Uwe Heinemann. Serotonin reduces polysynaptic inhibition via 5-HT1A receptors in the superficial entorhinal cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1116–1121, 1998. The superficial cells of the entorhinal cortex (EC), main input to the hippocampus, receive a serotonergic input from the raphe nuclei and express 5-hydroxytryptamine creatine sulfate complex (5-HT) receptors at high density. With the use of intracellular recordings, we investigated the effects of serotonin on synaptic inhibition of layer II and III neurons of the EC. Serotonin reduced both polysynaptic fast and slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) in projection neurons of the superficial EC. Polysynaptic fast and slow IPSPs were depressed by serotonin in a dose-dependent manner (0.1–100 μM). Serotonin in a concentration of 1 μM reduced the amplitudes of polysynaptic fast and slow IPSPs by ∼40 and 50%, respectively. To identify the subtype of the 5-HT–receptor mediating the effects on polysynaptic IPSPs, we applied various 5-HT–receptor agonists and antagonists. Although the serotonin agonists for the 5-HT1B,2C,3 receptors were ineffective, the effects were mimicked by the 5-HT1A–receptor agonists (8-OH-DPAT, 5-CT) and prevented by the 5-HT1A–receptor antagonist NAN-190. To look at the direct effects of 5-HT on inhibitory interneurons, we elicited monosynaptic IPSPs in the absence of excitatory synaptic transmisson. In contrast to the polysynaptic IPSPs, monosynaptic IPSPs were not significantly affected by serotonin. Recordings from putative inhibitory interneurons revealed that their excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were reversibly reduced by serotonin. We conclude that serotonin suppresses polysynaptic inhibition in projection neurons of layers II and III of the EC by depression of EPSPs on inhibitory interneurons via 5-HT1A receptors.
Control of Recurrent Inhibition of the Lateral Posterior-Pulvinar Complex by Afferents from the Deep Layers of the Superior Colliculus of the Rabbit
Authors: Zhu J. Julius , Lo Fu-Sun
Published: December 2017

Zhu, J. Julius and Fu-Sun Lo. Control of recurrent inhibition of the lateral posterior-pulvinar complex by afferents from the deep layers of the superior colliculus of the rabbit. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1122–1131, 1998. We investigated the effect of stimulation of the deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC) on the recurrent inhibition of the lateral posterior-pulvinar complex (LP) in anesthetized rabbits. Intracellular recordings from 23 relay cells in LP showed that they responded to SC stimulation with a long-lasting (140.2 ± 19.6 ms; mean ± SD) inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP), which sometimes was followed by a rebound burst of spikes. The same SC stimulation evoked a burst of spikes in extracellular recordings from 31 recurrent inhibitory interneurons in the LP-cortical pathway, which were located in the ventral part of the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus. The mean latency of the burst in reticular cells was 1.6 ms shorter than that of the IPSP in LP relay cells, suggesting that the IPSP in LP cells was mediated by these reticular cells. Intracellular recordings from nine reticular cells showed that the burst of spikes evoked by SC stimulation resulted from an excitatory postsynaptic potential that was always followed by a long-lasting (143.3 ± 24.0 ms) IPSP. Stimulation of the contralateral predorsal bundle, the main output pathway of deep SC neurons, elicited similar responses in LP cells or reticular neurons with latencies longer than those from SC stimulation. The latency difference between the responses to predorsal bundle and SC stimulation is equal to the antidromic conduction time of predorsal bundle fibers, suggesting that the inhibition in LP originates from the activation of predorsal bundle-projecting neurons. The response characteristics of the inhibitory circuit of LP and of the lateral geniculate nucleus to SC stimulation are strikingly similar, implying that a similar circuit is used by predorsal bundle-projecting neurons to control the recurrent inhibition in both lateral geniculate nucleus and LP. Because the predorsal bundle-projecting neurons are believed to be involved in the initiation of saccadic eye movements, we suggest that the inhibitory circuits may play an important role in modulating ascending visual information during saccadic eye movements.
Physiological Studies of the Precedence Effect in the Inferior Colliculus of the Cat. I. Correlates of Psychophysics
Authors: Litovsky Ruth Y. , Yin Tom C. T.
Published: December 2017

Litovsky, Ruth Y. and Tom C. T. Yin. Physiological studies of the precedence effect in the inferior colliculus of the cat. I. Correlates of psychophysics. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1285–1301, 1998. The precedence effect (PE) is experienced when two spatially separated sounds are presented with such a brief delay that only a single auditory image at or toward the location of the leading source is perceived. The responses of neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) of cats were studied using stimuli that are known to elicit the PE, focusing on the effects of changes in stimulus conditions that a listener might encounter in a natural situation. Experiments were conducted under both free-field (anechoic chamber) and dichotic (headphones) conditions. In free field, the PE was simulated by presenting two sounds from different loudspeakers with one sound delayed relative to the other. Either click or noise stimuli (2- to 10-ms duration) were used. Dichotically, the same conditions were simulated by presenting two click or noise pairs separated by an interstimulus delay (ISD) with interaural time differences (ITDs) imposed separately for each pair. At long ISDs, all neurons responded to both leading and lagging sources as if they were delivered alone. As the ISDs were shortened, the lagging response became suppressed. The ISD of half-maximal suppression varied considerably within the population of neurons studied, ranging from 2 to 100 ms, with means of 35 and 38 ms for free field and dichotic conditions, respectively. Several correlates of psychophysical findings were observed in ICC neurons: suppression was usually stronger with lower overall stimulus level and longer duration stimuli. Suppression also was compared along the azimuth and elevation in free field by placing the lagging source at (0°,0°), which is common to both axes, and the leading sources at locations along either plane that generated similar discharge rates. All neurons that showed suppression along the azimuth also did so in the elevation. In addition, there was a high correlation in the ISD of half-maximal suppression along the two planes ( r = 0.87). These findings suggest that interaural difference cues, which are robust along the horizontal axis but minimal in the median plane, are not necessary for neural correlates of the PE to be manifested. Finally, single-neuron responses did not demonstrate a correlate of build-up of suppression, a phenomenon whereby echo suppression accumulates with ongoing stimulation. This finding adds credibility to theories about the PE that argue for a “higher order” component of the PE.
Movement Sequence-Related Activity Reflecting Numerical Order of Components in Supplementary and Presupplementary Motor Areas
Authors: Clower William T. , Alexander Garrett E.
Published: December 2017

Clower, William T. and Garrett E. Alexander. Movement sequence-related activity reflecting numerical order of components in supplementary and presupplementary motor areas. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1562–1566, 1998. The supplementary motor area (SMA) and presupplementary motor areas (pre-SMA) have been implicated in movement sequencing, and neurons in SMA have been shown to encode what might be termed the relational order among sequence components (e.g., movement X followed by movement Y). To determine whether other aspects of movement sequencing might also be encoded by SMA or pre-SMA neurons, we analyzed task-related activity recorded from both areas in conjunction with a sequencing task that dissociated the numerical order of components (e.g., movement X as the 2nd component, irrespective of which movements precede or follow X). Sequences were constructed from eight component movements, each characterized by three spatial variables (origin, direction, and endpoint). Task-related activity recorded from 56 SMA and 63 pre-SMA neurons was categorized according to both the epoch (delay, reaction time, and movement time) and the spatial variable or component movement with which it was associated. All but one instance of task-related activity was selective for one of the spatial variables (SV-selective) rather than for any of the component movements themselves. Of 110 instances of SV-selective activity in SMA, 43 (39%) showed significant effects of numerical order. The corresponding incidence in pre-SMA, 82 (71%) of 116, was substantially higher ( P < 0.00001). No effects of numerical order were evident among the hand paths, movement times, or electromyographic activity associated with task performance. We concluded that neurons in SMA and pre-SMA may encode the numerical order of components, at least for sequences that are distinguished mainly by that aspect of component ordering.
Modulation of Voltage-Activated Calcium Currents by Mechanical Stimulation in Rat Sensory Neurons
Authors: Bouskila Yona , Bostock Hugh
Published: December 2017

Bouskila, Yona and Hugh Bostock. Modulation of voltage-activated calcium currents by mechanical stimulation in rat sensory neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1647–1652, 1998. We examined the effects of mechanical stress, induced by a stream of bath solution, on evoked action potentials, electrical excitability, and Ca2+currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in culture with the use of the whole cell patch-clamp technique. Action-potential duration was altered reversibly by flow in 39% of the 51 neurons tested, but membrane potential and excitability were unaffected. The flow-induced increases and decreases in action-potential duration were consistent with the different effects of flow on two types of Ca2+channel, determined by voltage-clamp recordings of Ba2+currents. Current through ω-conotoxin–sensitive (N-type) Ca2+channels increased by an estimated 74% with flow, corresponding to 23% increase in the total high voltage–activated current, whereas current through low-threshold voltage-activated (T-type) channels decreased by 14%. We conclude that modulation of voltage-activated Ca2+currents constitutes a route by which mechanical events can regulate Ca2+influx in sensory neurons.
Characterization of Spontaneous Inhibitory Synaptic Currents in Salamander Retinal Ganglion Cells
Authors: Gao Fan , Wu Samuel M.
Published: December 2017

Gao, Fan and Samuel M. Wu. Characterization of spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents in salamander retinal ganglion cells. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1752–1764, 1998. Spontaneous and light-evoked postsynaptic currents (sPSCs and lePSCs, respectively) in retinal ganglion cells of the larval tiger salamander were recorded under voltage-clamp conditions from living retinal slices. The focus of this study is to characterize the spontaneous inhibitory PSCs (sIPSCs) and their contribution to the light-evoked inhibitory PSCs (leIPSCs) in on-off ganglion cells. sIPSCs were isolated from spontaneous excitatory PSCs (sEPSCs) by application of 10 μM 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX) + 50 μM 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5). In ∼70% of on-off ganglion cells, bicuculline (or picrotoxin) completely blocks sIPSCs, suggesting all sIPSCs in these cells are mediated by GABAergic synaptic vesicles and γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptors (GABAergic sIPSCs, or GABAsIPSCs). In the remaining 30% of on-off ganglion cells, bicuculline (or picrotoxin) blocks 70–98% of the sIPSCs, and the remaining 2–30% are blocked by strychnine (glycinergic sIPSCs, or GLYsIPSCs). GABAsIPSCs occur randomly with an exponentially distributed interval probability density function, and they persist without noticeable rundown over time. The GABAsIPSC frequency is greatly reduced by cobalt, consistent with the idea that they are largely mediated by calcium-dependent vesicular release. GABAsIPSCs in DNQX + AP5 are tetrodotoxin (TTX) insensitive, suggesting that amacrine cells that release GABA under these conditions do not generate spontaneous action potentials. The average GABAsIPSCs exhibited linear current-voltage relation with a reversal potential near the chloride equilibrium potential, and an average peak conductance of 319.67 ± 252.83 (SD) pS. For GLYsIPSCs, the average peak conductance increase is 301.68 ± 94.34 pS. These parameters are of the same order of magnitude as those measured in inhibitory miniature postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) associated with single synaptic vesicles in the CNS. The amplitude histograms of GABAsIPSCs did not exhibit multiple peaks, suggesting that the larger events are not discrete multiples of elementary events (or quanta). We propose that each GABAsIPSC or GLYsIPSC in retinal ganglion cells is mediated by a single or synchronized multiple of synaptic vesicles with variable neurotransmitter contents. In a sample of 16 on-off ganglion cells, the average peak leIPSC (held at 0 mV) at the light onset is 509.0 ± 233.85 pA and that at the light offset is 529.0 ± 339.88 pA. The approximate number of GABAsIPSCs and GLYsIPSCs required to generate the average light responses, calculated by the ratio of the charge (area under current traces) of the leIPSCs to that of the average single sIPSCs, is 118 ± 52 for the light onset, and 132 ± 76 for the light offset.
Primate Antisaccades. I. Behavioral Characteristics
Authors: Amador Nelly , Schlag-Rey Madeleine , Schlag John
Published: December 2017

Amador, Nelly, Madeleine Schlag-Rey, and John Schlag. Primate antisaccades. I. Behavioral characteristics. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1775–1786, 1998. The antisaccade task requires a subject to make a saccade to an unmarked location opposite to a flashed stimulus. This task was originally designed to study saccades made to a goal specified by instructions. Interest for this paradigm surged after the discovery that frontal lobe lesions specifically and severely affect human performance of antisaccades while prosaccades (i.e., saccades directed to the visual stimulus) are facilitated. Training monkeys to perform antisaccades was rarely attempted in the past, and this study is the first one that describes in detail the properties of such antisaccades compared with randomly intermingled prosaccades of varying amplitude in all directions. Such randomization was found essential to force the monkeys to use the instruction cue (pro- or anti-) and the location cue (peripheral stimulus) provided within a trial rather than to direct their saccades to the location of past rewards. Each trial began with the onset of a central fixation target that conveyed by its shape the instruction to make a pro- or an antisaccade to a subsequent peripheral stimulus. In one version of the task, the monkey was allowed to make an immediate saccade to the goal; in a second version, the saccade had to wait for a go signal. Analyses of the accuracy, velocity, and latency of antisaccades compared with prosaccades were performed on a sample of 7,430 pro-/antisaccades in the “immediate saccade” task (delayed saccades suffering from known distortions). Error rates fluctuated ∼25%. Results were the same for the two monkeys with respect to accuracy and velocity, but they differed in terms of reaction time. Both monkeys generated antisaccades to stimuli in all directions, at various eccentricities, but antisaccades were significantly less accurate and slower than prosaccades elicited by the same stimuli. Interestingly, saccades to the stimulus could be followed by appropriate antisaccades with no intersaccadic interval. Such instances are here referred to as “turnaround saccades.” Because they occurred sometimes with a long latency, turnaround saccades did not simply reflect the cancellation of an early foveation reflex. Consistent with human data, latencies of one monkey were longer for antisaccades than for prosaccades, but the reverse was true for the other monkey who was trained differently. In summary, this study demonstrates the feasibility of providing a subhuman primate model of antisaccade performance, but at the same time it suggests some irreducible differences between human and monkey performance.
Vasopressin-Induced Currents in Rat Neonatal Spinal Lateral Horn Neurons Are G-Protein Mediated and Involve Two Conductances
Authors: Kolaj Miloslav , Renaud Leo P.
Published: December 2017

Kolaj, Miloslav and Leo P. Renaud. Vasopressin-induced currents in rat neonatal spinal lateral horn neurons are G-protein mediated and involve two conductances . J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1900–1910, 1998. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) receptors are expressed early in the developing spinal cord. To characterize AVP-induced conductances in lower thoracic sympathetic preganglionic (SPN) and other lateral horn neurons, we used patch-clamp recording techniques in neonatal (11–21 days) rat spinal cord slices. Most (90%) of 273 neurons, including all 68 SPNs, responded to AVP with membrane depolarization and/or a V1receptor-mediated, dose-dependent (0.01–1.0 μM) and tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant inward current. A role for G-proteins was indicated by persistence of this inward current after intracellular dialysis with GTP-γ-S or GMP-PNP, its marked reduction with GDP-β-S, and significant reduction, but not abolition, after preincubation with pertussis toxin or in the presence of N-ethylmaleimide. Analysis of individual current-voltage ( I- V) relationships in 57 cells indicated the presence of two different membrane conductances. In 21 cells, net AVP-induced currents reversed around −103 mV, reflecting reduction in one or more barium-sensitive potassium conductances; in 12 cells, net AVP-induced current reversed around −40 mV and was not significantly sensitive to several potassium channel blockers including barium, tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA), 4-aminopyridine (4AP), cesium, or glibenclamide, suggesting increase in a nonselective cationic conductance that was separate from Ih; in 24 cells where I- V lines shifted in parallel, AVP-induced inward currents were significantly greater and probably involved both conductances. These data indicate that SPNs and a majority of unidentified neonatal lateral horn neurons possess functional G-protein–coupled V1-type vasopressin receptors. The wide distribution of AVP receptors in neonatal spinal lateral column cells suggests a role that may extend beyond involvement in regulation of autonomic nervous system function.
Segregation of Receptive Field Properties in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of a New-World Monkey, the Marmoset Callithrix jacchus
Authors: White Andrew J. R. , Wilder Heath D. , Goodchild Ann K. , Sefton Ann Jervie , Martin Paul R.
Published: December 2017

White, Andrew J. R., Heath D. Wilder, Ann K. Goodchild, Ann Jervie Sefton, and Paul R. Martin. Segregation of receptive field properties in the lateral geniculate nucleus of a New-World monkey, the marmoset Callithrix jacchus. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2063–2076, 1998. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in humans and Old-World monkeys is dominated by the representation of the fovea in the parvocellular (PC) layers, and most PC cells in the foveal representation have red–green cone opponent receptive field properties. It is not known whether these features are both unique to trichromatic primates. Here we measured receptive field properties and the visuotopic organization of cells in the LGN of a New-World monkey, the marmoset Callithrix jacchus. The marmoset displays a polymorphism of cone opsins in the medium-long wavelength (ML) range, which allows the LGN of dichromatic (“red–green color blind”) and trichromatic individuals to be compared. Furthermore, the koniocellular–interlaminar layers are segregated from the main PC layers in marmoset, allowing the functional role of this subdivision of the LGN to be assessed. We show that the representation of the visual field in the LGN is quantitatively similar in dichromatic and trichromatic marmosets and is similar to that reported for macaque; the vast majority of LGN volume is devoted to the central visual field. on- and off-type responses are partially segregated in the PC layers so that on responses are more commonly encountered near the external border of each layer. The red–green (ML) opponent cells in trichromatic animals were all located in the PC layers, and their receptive fields were within 16° of the fovea. The koniocellular zone between the PC and magnocellular layers contained cells that receive excitatory input from short wavelength sensitive cones (“blue-on cells”) as well as other nonopponent cells. These results suggest that the basic organization of the LGN is common to dichromatic and trichromatic primates and provide further evidence that ML and SWS opponent signals are carried in distinct subdivisions of the retinogeniculocortical pathway.
Alterations in Average Spectrum of Cochleoneural Activity by Long-Term Salicylate Treatment in the Guinea Pig: A Plausible Index of Tinnitus
Authors: Cazals Y. , Horner K. C. , Huang Z. W.
Published: December 2017

Cazals, Y., K. C. Horner, and Z. W. Huang. Alterations in average spectrum of cochleoneural activity by long-term salicylate treatment in the guinea pig: a plausible index of tinnitus. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2113–2120, 1998. Salicylate, one of the most widely used drugs, produces at repetitive high doses reversible tinnitus and hearing loss. Neural correlates of hearing loss have long been established, whereas they remain elusive for tinnitus. The average spectrum of electrophysiological cochleoneural activity (ASECA), a measure of spontaneous auditory nerve activity, was monitored in guinea pigs over weeks of salicylate administration. Auditory nerve compound action potential (CAP) was also recorded to monitor acoustic sensitivity. In the first days of treatment, ASECA decreased acutely during hours after salicylate administration; after several days this decrease could be reduced. Over weeks of treatment the level of ASECA increased progressively. No change in CAP threshold was observed. The ASECA decrease induced by a contralateral broadband noise remained unchanged. At the end of treatment, acoustic tuning of ASECA showed a partially decreased sensitivity. After cessation of treatment the ASECA level returned progressively to initial values. In control animals delivery of an ipsilateral acoustic noise could reproduce the ASECA increase observed in long-term salicylate-treated animals. This white noise was of moderate sound pressure level and it elevated slightly CAP thresholds at high frequencies. These data provide evidence for salicylate-induced ASECA alterations without changes in CAP thresholds, in accord with clinical reports of tinnitus being the first subjective sign of salicylate ototoxicity. The similarities in occurrence, development, reversibility, frequency content, and acoustic level support the idea that ASECA changes, which indicates alterations of spontaneous eighth nerve activity and reflects the presence of salicylate-induced high-pitch tinnitus.
Commissural and Lemniscal Synaptic Input to the Gerbil Inferior Colliculus
Authors: Moore David R. , Kotak Vibhakar C. , Sanes Dan H.
Published: December 2017

Moore, David R., Vibhakar C. Kotak, and Dan H. Sanes. Commissural and lemniscal synaptic input to the gerbil inferior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2229–2236, 1998. The central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) receives direct inputs, bilaterally, from all auditory brain stem nuclear groups. To evaluate the contribution made to gerbil ICC neuron physiology by two major afferent pathways, we examined the synaptic responses evoked by direct stimulation of the commissure of the inferior colliculus (CIC) and the ipsilateral lateral lemniscus (LL). Frontal midbrain slices were obtained from postnatal day (P) 9–P19 gerbils, and whole cell recordings were made under current- ( n = 22) or voltage-clamp ( n = 52) conditions. Excitatory and inhibitory synaptic responses were characterized by sequentially exposing the slice to ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists [6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) + aminophosphonpentanoic acid (AP-5), or kynurenic acid)], a γ-aminobutryic acid type A receptor antagonist (bicuculline), and a glycine receptor antagonist (strychnine). In current clamp, LL stimulation typically produced a short latency depolarization followed by a longer duration hyperpolarization. The depolarization was abolished by AP-5 + CNQX, and the remaining inhibitory potential displayed either bicuculline or strychnine sensitivity. In voltage clamp, 79% of ICC neurons displayed synaptic currents after stimulation of each pathway. The synaptic currents were typically complex waveforms, and ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists reduced inward currents at a holding potential of −80 mV in the majority of neurons. In addition, this treatment reduced outward synaptic currents at a holding potential of −20 mV, indicating that inhibitory interneuronal input was often activated by LL or CIC afferents. A minority of neurons had synaptic currents that were unaffected by glutamate receptor antagonists, but it was more common for CIC-evoked currents to be unaffected (38%) rather than LL-evoked currents (22%). The CIC provided a strong inhibitory input that was almost exclusively GABAergic, whereas the LL inhibition often included a glycinergic component. These experiments have shown that the CIC provides a major glutamatergic and GABAergic input to most ICC neurons. However, much of the inhibitory input from both the CIC and the LL appears to be mediated by interneuronal connections.
Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray (PAG) Inhibits Nociceptive Inputs to Sacral Dorsal Horn Nociceptive Neurons Through α2-Adrenergic Receptors
Authors: Budai Dénes , Harasawa Ichiro , Fields Howard L.
Published: December 2017

Budai, Dénes, Ichiro Harasawa, and Howard L. Fields. Midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) inhibits nociceptive inputs to sacral dorsal horn nociceptive neurons through α2-adrenergic receptors. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2244–2254, 1998. Modulation of sacral spinal dorsal horn neurons by the ventrolateral PAG was studied by extracellular recording combined with microiontophoretic applications of α-adrenergic agonists or antagonists. Bicuculline (BIC, 15 ng) microinjected into the ventrolateral PAG produced a consistent inhibition of the responses of nociceptive dorsal horn neurons. After PAG–BIC applications, the total number of spikes per heat stimulation period was significantly decreased to a mean of 37 ± 19% ( n = 8) of the pre-BIC control. Local iontophoresis of the selective α2-adrenoceptor antagonists idazoxan or yohimbine but not the selective α1 antagonist benoxathian significantly reversed PAG–BIC-evoked inhibition. At low ejection currents, clonidine, an α2-adrenoceptor agonist, markedly reduced noxious heat-evoked responses but had no consistent action on the responses to iontophoresed excitatory amino acids [EAA; N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) or kainic acid]. At ejection currents higher than required to block descending inhibition, idazoxan potentiated responses to both heat and EAA iontophoresis. At higher ejection currents, EAA responses were inhibited by clonidine. This indicates that both presynaptic and postsynaptic α2 receptors are capable of inhibiting the recorded neurons. Activation of the α1 adrenoceptors by iontophoresis of methoxamine often led to a marked increase in the responses to kainic acid and, to a lesser extent, to NMDA iontophoresis or noxious heat. Together with previously reported work, the current experiments demonstrate that PAG neurons inhibit nociceptive dorsal horn neurons primarily through an indirect α2 adrenoceptor mechanism. In this same population of dorsal horn neurons, norepinephrine has a direct α1-mediated excitatory effect.
Human Vestibuloocular Reflex and Its Interactions With Vision and Fixation Distance During Linear and Angular Head Movement
Authors: Paige Gary D. , Telford Laura , Seidman Scott H. , Barnes Graham R.
Published: December 2017

Paige, Gary D., Laura Telford, Scott H. Seidman, and Graham R. Barnes. Human vestibuloocular reflex and its interactions with vision and fixation distance during linear and angular head movement. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2391–2404, 1998. The vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) maintains visual image stability by generating eye movements that compensate for both angular (AVOR) and linear (LVOR) head movements, typically in concert with visual following mechanisms. The VORs are generally modulated by the “context” in which head movements are made. Three contextual influences on VOR performance were studied during passive head translations and rotations over a range of frequencies (0.5–4 Hz) that emphasized shifting dynamics in the VORs and visual following, primarily smooth pursuit. First, the dynamic characteristics of head movements themselves (“stimulus context”) influence the VORs. Both the AVOR and LVOR operate with high-pass characteristics relative to a head velocity input, although the cutoff frequency of the AVOR (<0.1 Hz) is far below that of the LVOR (∼1 Hz), and both perform well at high frequencies that exceed, but complement, the capabilities of smooth pursuit. Second, the LVOR and AVOR are modulated by fixation distance, implemented with a signal related to binocular vergence angle (“fixation context”). The effect was quantified by analyzing the response during each trial as a linear relationship between LVOR sensitivity (in deg/cm), or AVOR gain, and vergence (in m−1) to yield a slope (vergence influence) and an intercept (response at 0 vergence). Fixation distance (vergence) was modulated by presenting targets at different distances. The response slope rises with increasing frequency, but much more so for the LVOR than the AVOR, and reflects a positive relationship for all but the lowest stimulus frequencies in the AVOR. A third influence is the context of real and imagined targets on the VORs (“visual context”). This was studied in two ways—when targets were either earth-fixed to allow visual enhancement of the VOR or head-fixed to permit visual suppression. The VORs were assessed by extinguishing targets for brief periods while subjects continued to “fixate” them in darkness. The influences of real and imagined targets were most robust at lower frequencies, declining as stimulus frequency increased. The effects were nearly gone at 4 Hz. These properties were equivalent for the LVOR and AVOR and imply that the influences of real and imagined targets on the VORs generally follow low-pass and pursuit-like dynamics. The influence of imagined targets accounts for roughly one-third of the influence of real targets on the VORs at 0.5 Hz.
Cholinergic Agonist Carbachol Enables Associative Long-Term Potentiation in Piriform Cortex Slices
Authors: Patil Madhvi M. , Linster Christiane , Lubenov Eugene , Hasselmo Michael E.
Published: December 2017

Patil, Madhvi M., Christiane Linster, Eugene Lubenov, and Michael E. Hasselmo. Cholinergic agonist carbachol enables associative long-term potentiation in piriform cortex slices. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2467–2474, 1998. Pyramidal cells in piriform (olfactory) cortex receive afferent input from the olfactory bulb as well as intrinsic association input from piriform cortex and other cortical areas. These two functionally distinct inputs terminate on adjacent apical dendritic segments of the pyramidal cells located in layer Ia and layer Ib of piriform cortex. Studies with bath-applied cholinergic agonists have shown suppression of the fast component of the inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) evoked by stimulation of the association fibers. It was previously demonstrated that an associative form of LTP can be induced by coactivation of the two fiber systems after blockade of the fast, γ-aminobutyric acid-A–mediated IPSP. In this report, we demonstrate that an associative form of long-term potentiation can be induced by coactivation of afferent and intrinsic fibers in the presence of the cholinergic agonist carbachol.
Evaluation of Intrinsic Modulation of Synaptic Transmission by ATP in Mouse Fast Twitch Muscle
Authors: Hong S. J. , Chang C. C.
Published: December 2017

Hong, S. J. and C. C. Chang. Evaluation of intrinsic modulation of synaptic transmission by ATP in mouse fast twitch muscle. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2550–2558, 1998. This study aims to evaluate whether endogenous ATP or adenosine modulates the neurotransmission and contractile function of mouse phrenic nerve–diaphragm. Bath application of ATP (1 mM) and α,β-methylene ATP (m-ATP, 0.1 mM) elevated muscle tones, depressed contractions (∼12%), and depolarized muscle membranes (∼20 mV). Adenosine (1 mM) or low concentrations of ATP (0.1 mM) had no effect. In a low Ca2+ media, ATP caused prolonged inhibitions of endplate potentials (EPPs), whereas m-ATP augmented EPPs while both agents produced slight effects in normal Tyrode solution. When applied by puff ejection, ATP and m-ATP additionally elicited fast transient suppressions of EPPs in association with inhibitions of high K+-evoked releases of miniature EPPs. Blockades of P2 purinoceptors with suramin antagonized all the effects of ATP and m-ATP except the prolonged inhibitions of EPPs induced by ATP, which were antagonized instead by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (CPDPX), an A1 adenosine receptor antagonist. Suramin and CPDPX did not change contractions nor alter EPPs evoked by a low- or high-frequency nerve stimulation. The results indicate that exogenously applied ATP and m-ATP, via activations of distinct pre- and postsynaptic purinoceptors, exert inhibitory and facilitatory pharmacological modulations on the mature neuromuscular junction. However, because of intrinsic high efficiency of the synaptic transmission under physiological conditions, endogenously released ATP and its degradation product—adenosine—do not build up to concentrations high enough to alter motor functions.
Recovery of Cable Properties Through Active and Passive Modeling of Subthreshold Membrane Responses From Laterodorsal Tegmental Neurons
Authors: Surkis A. , Peskin C. S. , Tranchina D. , Leonard C. S.
Published: December 2017

Surkis, A., C. S. Peskin, D. Tranchina, and C. S. Leonard. Recovery of cable properties through active and passive modeling of subthreshold membrane responses from laterodorsal tegmental neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2593–2607, 1998. The laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) is located in the dorsolateral pontine reticular formation. Cholinergic neurons in the LDT and the adjacent pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT) are hypothesized to play a critical role in the generation of the electroencephalographic-desynchronized states of wakefulness and rapid eye movement sleep. A quantitative analysis of the cable properties of these cells was undertaken to provide a more detailed understanding of their integrative behavior. The data used in this analysis were the morphologies of intracellularly labeled guinea pig LDT neurons and the voltage responses of these cells to somatic current injection. Initial attempts to model the membrane behavior near resting potential and in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX, 1 μM) as purely passive produced fits that did not capture many features of the experimental data. Moreover, the recovered values of membrane conductance or intracellular resistivity were often very far from those reported for other neurons, suggesting that a passive description of cell behavior near rest was not adequate. An active membrane model that included a subthreshold A-type K+ current and/or a hyperpolarization-activated cation current (H-current) then was used to model cell behavior. The voltage traces calculated using this model were better able to reproduce the experimental data, and the cable parameters determined using this methodology were more consistent with those reported for other cells. Additionally, the use of the active model parameter extraction methodology eliminated a problem encountered with the passive model in which parameter sets with widely varying values, sometimes spanning an order of magnitude or more, would produce effectively indistinguishable fits to the data. The use of an active model to directly fit the experimentally measured voltage responses to both long and short current pulses is a novel approach that is of general utility.
Membrane Properties and Morphology of Vasopressin Neurons in Slices of Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Authors: Pennartz C.M.A. , Bos N.P.A. , Jeu M.T.G. De , Geurtsen A.M.S. , Mirmiran M. , Sluiter A. A. , Buijs R. M.
Published: December 2017

Pennarts, C.M.A., N.P.A. Bos, M.T.G. De Jeu, A.M.S. Geurtsen, M. Mirmiran, A. A. Sluiter, and R. M. Buijs. Membrane properties and morphology of vasopressin neurons in slices of rat suprachiasmatic nucleus. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2710–2717, 1998. Vasopressin (VP) neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) are thought to be closely linked to neural mechanisms for circadian timekeeping. To gain insight into the cellular–physiological principles that govern spike-driven VP release and to examine whether VP cells can be electrophysiologically and morphologically identified by a unique combination of features, we recorded membrane properties by whole cell patch-clamp methods and stained the cells with biocytin. In current-clamp mode, VP neurons recorded during subjective daytime expressed a clear time-dependent inward rectification but no pronounced low-threshold Ca2+ potential after hyperpolarizing current pulses. Their spontaneous firing rate varied between 0.6 and 13.4 Hz and was generally tonic and irregular. Spike afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) were steeply rising and monophasic. Spikes were preceded by depolarizing ramps mediated by a slow component of Na+ current. Spike trains evoked by depolarizing current pulses displayed frequency adaptation and were usually followed by an AHP lasting 0.5–2.0 s. Spontaneous postsynaptic potentials were present in a majority of cells. Voltage-clamp recordings revealed a Ba2+-sensitive K+ current that exerts a tonic, hyperpolarizing influence on the membrane potential. This set of membrane properties was not significantly different from other cells in the dorsomedial region and is characteristic for cluster I cells, which were described previously and are widely encountered throughout the SCN. None of the cells could be classified as belonging to cluster II or III, which were indeed found mainly outside the dorsomedial region. Morphologically, single VP neurons were characterized by compact, mono- or bipolar dendritic branching patterns and numerous varicosities throughout the dendrites. They generally possessed few axon collaterals, most of which remained inside the boundaries of the SCN but were occasionally seen to project to SCN target areas. In conclusion, VP neurons in the SCN express several active membrane poperties, including time-dependent inward rectification, frequency adaptation in spike trains, monophasic spike AHPs, and Ba2+-sensitive K+ current. VP release is proposed to be governed by tonic and irregular patterns of spontaneous firing. The electrophysiological and cytological properties of VP neurons are representative for a majority of SCN cells and define them as a subset of previously defined cluster I cells.
Human Head-Free Gaze Saccades to Targets Flashed Before Gaze-Pursuit Are Spatially Accurate
Authors: Herter Troy M. , Guitton Daniel
Published: December 2017

Herter, Troy M. and Daniel Guitton. Human head-free gaze saccades to targets flashed before gaze-pursuit are spatially accurate. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2785–2789, 1998. Previous studies have shown that accurate saccades can be generated, in the dark, that compensate for movements of the visual axis that result from movements of either the eyes alone or the head alone that intervene between target presentation and saccade onset. We have carried out experiments with human subjects to test whether gaze saccades (gaze = eye-in-space = eye-in-head + head-in-space) can be generated that compensate for smooth pursuit movements of gaze that intervene between target onset and gaze-saccade onset. In both head-unrestrained (head-free) and -restrained (head-fixed) conditions, subjects were asked to make gaze shifts, in the dark, to the remembered location of a briefly flashed target. On most trials, during the memory period, the subjects carried out intervening head-free gaze pursuit or head-fixed ocular pursuit along the horizontal meridian. On the remaining (control) trials, subjects did not carry out intervening pursuit movements during the memory period; this was the classical memory-guided saccade task. We found that the subjects accurately compensated for intervening movements of the visual axis in both the head-free and head-fixed conditions. We conclude that the human gaze-motor system is able to monitor on-line changes in gaze position and add them to initial retinal error, to program spatially accurate gaze saccades.