Experimental Brain Research

, Volume 59, Issue 2, pp 338–343 | Cite as

Projection of a cutaneous nerve to the spinal cord of the pigeon I. Evoked field potentials

  • R. Necker
Article
Received:
Accepted:

Summary

Evoked field potentials have been recorded from the spinal cord after electrical stimulation of a cutaneous nerve in the pigeon. Four different postsynaptic negative waves (Nl to N4) could be discerned. These waves were obviously due to monosynaptic activation via the four different afferent fiber groups described for this cutaneous nerve (Necker and Meinecke 1984). Precise localization showed that large fibers project to deeper, medially located areas of the dorsal horn (near lamina IV) whereas smaller fibers project primarily to more laterally located superficial layers. A laterally recorded N-wave which was due to the activation of large fibers had a latency which indicated a disynaptic pathway.

Key words

Spinal cord Evoked field potentials Pigeon 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Andersen P, Eccles JC, Schmidt RF, Yokota T (1964) Slow potential waves produced in cuneate nucleus by cutaneous volleys and by cortical stimulation. J Neurophysiol 27: 78–91Google Scholar
  2. Beall JE, Applebaum AE, Foreman RD, Willis WD (1977) Spinal cord potentials evoked by cutaneous afferents in the monkey. J Neurophysiol 40: 199–212Google Scholar
  3. Bennett GJ, Abdelmoumene M, Hayashi H, Dubner R (1980) Physiology and morphology of substantia gelatinosa neurons intracellularly stained with horseradish peroxidase. J Comp Neurol 194: 809–827Google Scholar
  4. Brown AG (1968) Cutaneous afferent fibre collaterals in the dorsal columns of the cat. Exp Brain Res 5: 293–305Google Scholar
  5. Brown AG (1981) Organization in the spinal cord. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New YorkGoogle Scholar
  6. Christensen BN, Perl ER (1970) Spinal neurons specifically excited by noxious or thermal stimuli: marginal zone of dorsal horn. J Neurophysiol 33: 293–307Google Scholar
  7. Coombs JS, Curtis DR, Landgren S (1956) Spinal cord potentials generated by impulses in muscle and cutaneous afferent fibres. J Neurophysiol 19: 452–467Google Scholar
  8. Gasser H, Graham HT (1933) Potentials produced in the spinal cord by stimulation of dorsal roots. Am J Physiol 103: 303–320Google Scholar
  9. Gregor M, Zimmermann M (1973) Dorsal root potentials produced by afferent volleys in cutaneous group III fibres. J Physiol (Lond) 232: 413–425Google Scholar
  10. Huber FJ (1936) Nerve roots and nuclear groups in the spinal cord of the pigeon. J Comp Neurol 65: 43–91Google Scholar
  11. Kumazawa T, Perl E (1978) Excitation of marginal and substantia gelatinosa neurons in the primate spinal cord: indications of their place in dorsal horn functional organization. J Comp Neurol 177: 417–434Google Scholar
  12. Light AR, Perl E (1979) Reexamination of the dorsal root projection to the spinal dorsal horn including observations on the differential termination of coarse and fine fibers. J Comp Neurol 186: 117–132Google Scholar
  13. Necker R (1983a) Somatosensory System. In: Abs M (ed) Physiology and Behaviour of the Pigeon. Academic Press, London, pp 169–192Google Scholar
  14. Necker R (1983b) Effects of temperature on afferent synaptic transmission in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord of pigeons. J Therm Biol 8: 15–18Google Scholar
  15. Necker R (1985) Projection of a cutaneous nerve to the spinal cord of the pigeon. II. Responses of dorsal horn neurons. Exp Brain Res 59: 344–352Google Scholar
  16. Necker R, Meinecke CC (1984) Conduction velocities and fiber diameters in a cutaneous nerve of the pigeon. J Comp Physio 154: 817–824Google Scholar
  17. Nieuwenhuys R (1964) Comparative anatomy of the spinal cord. In: Eccles JC, Schade (eds) Organization of the spinal cord. Progress in Brain Research, Vol 11. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam London New York, pp 1–57Google Scholar
  18. Price DD, Hayashi H, Dubner R, Ruda MA (1979) Functional relationships between neurons of marginal and substantia gelatinosa layers of primate dorsal horn. J Neurophysiol 42: 1590–1608Google Scholar
  19. Rabin A (1975) Electrophysiology of spinal motoneurons in the pigeon. Brain Res 84: 351–356Google Scholar
  20. Schmidt RF (1971) Presynaptic inhibition in the vertebrate central nervous system. Ergebn Physiol 63: 20–101Google Scholar
  21. Wagman IH, Price DD (1969) Responses of dorsal horn cells of M. mulatta to cutaneous and sural nerve A and C fiber stimuli. J Neurophysiol 32: 803–817Google Scholar
  22. Willis WD, Coggeshall RE (1978) Sensory Mechanisms of the Spinal Cord. Plenum Press, New York LondonGoogle Scholar
  23. Zimmermann M (1968) Dorsal root potentials after C-fiber stimulation. Science 160: 896–898Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1985

Authors and Affiliations

  • R. Necker
    • 1
  1. 1.Institut für Tierphysiologie, Ruhr-Universität BochumBochum 1Federal Republic of Germany

Personalised recommendations