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Effect of striatal stimulation on cellular activities of medial thalamic neurons studied in rats

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Summary

Medial thalamic cells responded to stimulation of the striatum in either lightly anaesthetized or chronically implanted awake rats. Orthodromic and antidromic short-latency excitatory responses were associated with a pause in spontaneous activity followed by bursting activity. The thalamic distribution of the different types of response is given; the main nuclei involved were parafascicularis, centrum medianum, centralis lateralis, habenula and lateralis posterior. When observed with intracellular electrodes the pause in spontaneous activity was accompanied by a long hyperpolarisation. The possibility that this effect could be due either to inhibition or to disfacilitation is examined. Electrophysiological evidence is given to show that a direct striatothalamic pathway does not exist. Different relayed pathways which could be responsible for the observed responses are proposed and their possible role is discussed on the basis of anatomical and electrophysiological findings obtained in cats and rats. A role for a pathway making a cortical detour is suggested.

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Abbreviations

Cd:

Caudate

CL:

Centralis Lateralis

CM:

Centrum Medianum

Pd:

Globus Pallidus

Hb:

Habenula

LP:

Lateralis posterior

MD:

Medialis dorsalis

NCP:

Nucleus of the posterior commissure

Pf:

Parafascicularis

Put:

Putamen

VP:

Ventralis posterior

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physiologie des Centres nerveux, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4, place Jussieu, F-75230, Paris Cedex 05, France

    D. Albe-Fessard, P. Cesaro & B. Hamon

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  1. D. Albe-Fessard
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  2. P. Cesaro
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  3. B. Hamon
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Albe-Fessard, D., Cesaro, P. & Hamon, B. Effect of striatal stimulation on cellular activities of medial thalamic neurons studied in rats. Exp Brain Res 50, 34–44 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238230

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238230

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