The activity of the posterior group of thalamic nuclei in the cat.

Calma, I.

doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007707

Cited by 36 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…The present results agree with degeneration studies of Rose & Woolsey (1958), Peacock & Combs (1965) and Macchi et al (1959). Knighton (1950) and Calma (1965) have also suggested a cortical projection from neurones within PO. Over 50 % of the antidromically activated PO cells in the present study had an axon projection confined to the somatic sensory areas.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Somatic afferent input to posterior thalamic neurones and their axon projection to the cerebral cortex in the cat

Rowe¹,

Sessle²

1968

The Journal of Physiology

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SUMMARY1. A technique of reversible block of synaptic transmission through the dorsal column nuclei and the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (n. caudalis) has been employed to assess the somatic afferent input to individual posterior thalamic neurones in the cat. The axon projection to the cerebral cortex of these neurones has been identified by antidromic activation following cortical stimulation.2. Unitary responses in the nucleus ventralis posterolateralis (VPL) evoked by cutaneous stimulation were abolished or depressed following block of transmission in the dorsal column nuclei. Block in n. caudalis, however, depressed unitary responses in nucleus ventralis posteromedialis (VPM) evoked by facial skin stimulation in less than 10 % of cells.3. A more complex source of the somatic input to the posterior nuclear region of the thalamus (PO) was found. It was most commonly noted that PO unitary activity evoked by cutaneous stimulation of the face was unaffected by block of synaptic transmission in n. caudalis. No uniform effect was observed on unitary responses in PO evoked by limb stimulation when transmission in the dorsal column nuclei was blocked. 4. Antidromic activation from the cerebral cortex was seen in 69 % of ventrobasal neurones. Most cells (66 %) had 'antidromic cortical fields' restricted to a region consisting of a third to a half of the specific somatic projection areas. In 10 % of cells evidence was obtained for discontinuous cortical 'antidromic fields' suggesting subcortical bifurcation of the projecting axon.5. An axon projection to the cortex was found in 35 % of PO cells, about half of which projected only to specific somatic projection areas.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Somatic afferent input to posterior thalamic neurones and their axon projection to the cerebral cortex in the cat

Rowe¹,

Sessle²

1968

The Journal of Physiology

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“…The dorsal path travels medially across an ill-defined region, caudal to the ventrobasal thalamic complex and medial to the medial geniculate body, known as the posterior thalamic complex, whose principal afferent path is thought to be the spinothalamic tract (Poggio & Mountcastle, 1960;Whitlock & Perl, 1959 and in which the body has been shown to be represented bilaterally in other species (Whitlock & Perl, 1959;Poggio & Mountcastle, 1960;Emmers & Leeb, 1963;Davidson, 1965). Considering that the spino¬ thalamic system terminates both contralaterally and ipsilaterally in the posterior thalamic complex (and also in the neighbouring parafascicular nucleus ; Gerebtzoff, 1940) with little or no topographical organization (Darian-Smith, 1964;Davidson, 1965), unlike the lemniscal-ventrobasal thalamic system, and that the function of the posterior thalamic complex is not concerned with the transmission of detailed information (Calma, 1965a), it could be postulated that the spinothalamic system offers an ideal neural substrate for the ascending path of the suckling stimulus. Furthermore, since descending impulses from the cortex can inhibit the response of the posterior thalamic complex to peripheral stimulation (Calma, 1965 a, 6), the interesting possibility is raised that a central inhibition of the milk-ejection reflex might occur at this level.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The Afferent Path of the Milk-Ejection Reflex in the Brain of the Guinea-Pig

Tindal¹,

Knaggs²,

Turvey³

1967

Journal of Endocrinology

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The afferent path of the milk-ejection reflex has been studied in the brain of the lactating guinea-pig in light pentobarbitone anaesthesia. Square\x=req-\ wave pulses were applied between an indifferent electrode in the scalp and a monopolar electrode inserted stereotaxically in the brain. The brain was transected at the mid-cerebellar level to eliminate activation of the sympathetico-adrenal system, and milk-ejection pressure was monitored to detect release of neurohypophysial hormone(s).The afferent path of the reflex in the caudal midbrain was very compact and lay in the lateral tegmentum. More rostrally, milk-ejection responses were obtained from the tectum and mesencephalic central grey, but the major pathway remained in the lateral tegmentum and passed forward to lie ventromedial to the medial geniculate body, after which it divided into two components which we have termed the dorsal and ventral paths.The dorsal path traversed dorsomedially across the brainstem to reach the parafascicular thalamic nucleus, the extreme rostral central grey and the periventricular region at the meso-diencephalic boundary, and then continued forward to reach the pituitary stalk and the medial and dorsal hypothalamus. The ventral path traversed ventromedially to enter the subthalamus and then the lateral hypothalamus, in which it passed both to the rostral basal diencephalon and to the pituitary stalk.In the diencephalon, milk-ejection responses were obtained after stimulation of part of the ventral thalamus, the lateral, dorsal and anterior hypothalamic areas, the dorsomedial, ventromedial, arcuate, supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, and the pituitary stalk.It is suggested from these findings that in the guinea-pig the suckling stimulus ascends by the spinothalamic system, and continues rostrally to relay with the medial and ventral thalamus, the dorsal longitudinal fasciculus and the medial forebrain bundle. Other ascending pathways in the medial lemniscus and mammillary peduncle may also be involved, but appear to be of only minor significance.

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“…Poggio and Mountcastle (1960) first observed that more than half of the neurons in the posterior thalamus of cats could be activated by noxious mechanical stimulation. Nociceptive responses elicited by mechanical, thermal, and electrical stimuli from neurons in the posterior thalamus have since been observed in rats (Bordi and LeDoux 1994; Gauriau and Bernard 2004b;Guilbaud et al 1980), cats (Benedek et al 1997Brinkhus and Carstens 1979;Calma 1965;Carstens and Yokota 1980;Curry 1972;Curry and Gordon 1972;Guilbaud et al 1977;Matsumoto et al 1988;Nyquist and Greenhoot 1974), and monkeys (Casey 1966;Craig et al 1994;Perl and Whitlock 1961;Whitlock and Perl 1961). In humans, neurons recorded caudal to the principle somatosensory nuclei (presumably within the posterior thalamus) were found to be responsive to noxious mechanical and thermal stimuli, and electrical stimulation within the microampere range elicited thermal and pain sensations Lenz et al 1993a,b;Ohara and Lenz 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In rats, the posterior thalamus has been shown to project to the amygdala, a structure necessary for the acquisition of fear conditioning (Bordi and LeDoux 1994; Ledoux et al 1990). The efferent pathways from the posterior thalamus also project to SII and to the insula (Burton and Jones 1976;Calma 1965;Friedman and Murray 1986;Stevens et al 1993). Recently electrophysiological and anatomical methods were combined to show that nociceptive neurons recorded in the posterior thalamus of rats projected to SII, whereas nonnociceptive neurons projected to the insula (Gauriau and Bernard 2004b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Termination Zones of Functionally Characterized Spinothalamic Tract Neurons Within the Primate Posterior Thalamus

Davidson

Zhang

Khasabov

et al. 2008

Journal of Neurophysiology

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. The primate posterior thalamus has been proposed to contribute to pain sensation, but its precise role is unclear. This is in part because spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons that project to the posterior thalamus have received little attention. In this study, antidromic mapping was used to identify individual STT neurons with axons that projected specifically to the posterior thalamus in Macaca fascicularis. Each axon was located by antidromic activation at low stimulus amplitudes (Ͻ30 A) and was then surrounded distally by a grid of stimulating points in which 500-A stimuli were unable to activate the axon antidromically, thereby indicating the termination zone. Several nuclei within the posterior thalamus were targets of STT neurons: the posterior nucleus, suprageniculate nucleus, magnocellular part of the medial geniculate nucleus, and limitans nucleus. STT neurons projecting to the ventral posterior inferior nucleus were also studied. Twenty-five posterior thalamus-projecting STT neurons recorded in lumbar spinal cord were characterized by their responses to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli. Sixteen of 25 neurons were recorded in the marginal zone and the balance was located within the deep dorsal horn. Thirteen neurons were classified as wide dynamic range and 12 as high threshold. One-third of STT neurons projecting to posterior thalamus responded to noxious heat (50°C). Two-thirds of those tested responded to cooling. Seventy-one percent responded to an intradermal injection of capsaicin. These data indicate that the primate STT transmits noxious and innocuous mechanical, thermal, and chemical information to multiple posterior thalamic nuclei.

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The activity of the posterior group of thalamic nuclei in the cat.

Cited by 36 publications

References 26 publications

Somatic afferent input to posterior thalamic neurones and their axon projection to the cerebral cortex in the cat

Somatic afferent input to posterior thalamic neurones and their axon projection to the cerebral cortex in the cat

The Afferent Path of the Milk-Ejection Reflex in the Brain of the Guinea-Pig

Termination Zones of Functionally Characterized Spinothalamic Tract Neurons Within the Primate Posterior Thalamus

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