Abstract
In acute experiments on cats anesthetized with thiopental (30–40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) and immobilized with D-tubocurarine (1 mg/kg) responses of 145 neurons of the reticular and 158 neurons of the ventral anterior nuclei of the thalamus to electrical stimulation of the centrum medianum were investigated. An antidromic action potential appeared after a latent period of 0.3–2.0 msec in 4.1% of cells of the reticular nucleus and 4.4% of neurons of the ventral anterior nucleus tested in response to stimulation. The conduction velocity of antidromic excitation along axons of these neurons was 1.7–7.6 m/sec. Neurons responding with an antidromic action potential to stimulation both of the centrum medianum and of other formations were discovered, electrophysiological evidence of the ramification of such an axon. Altogether 53.8% of neurons of the reticular nucleus and 46.9% of neurons of the ventral anterior nucleus responded to stimulation of the centrum medianum by orthodromic excitation. Among neurons excited orthodromically two groups of cells were distinguished: The first group generated a discharge consisting of 6–12 action potentials with a frequency of 130–640 Hz (the duration of discharge did not exceed 60 msec), whereas the second responded with a single action potential. Inhibitory responses were observed in only 0.7% of neurons of the reticular nucleus and 4.4% of the ventral anterior nucleus tested. Afferent influences from the relay nuclei of the thalamus, lateral posterior nucleus, and motor cortex were shown to converge on neurons responding to stimulation of the centrum medianum.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
M. Ya. Voloshin and V. F. Prokopenko, "Unit responses of the reticular and ventral anterior thalamic nuclei of cats to orbitofrontal cortical stimulation, Neirofiziologiya,6, 472 (1974).
M. Ya. Voloshin and V. F. Prokopenko, "Responses of neurons of reticular and ventral anterior nuclei of the cat thalamus to afferent stimuli of different modalities," Neirofiziologiya,7, 563 (1975).
M. Ya. Voloshin and V. F. Prokopenko, "Unit responses of the reticular and ventral anterior thalamic nuclei to electrical stimulation of the relay nuclei in cats," Neirofiziologiya,8, 597 (1976).
M. Ya. Voloshin and V. F. Prokopenko, "Neuronal responses of the reticular and anterior ventral thalamic nuclei to stimulation of the thalamic ventrolateral nucleus and motor cortex," Neirofiziologiya,10, 460 (1978).
N. N. Danilova, "Unit responses of the rabbit nonspecific thalamus to auditory, visual, and cutaneous stimulation," in: 18th International Psychological Congress. Symposium 5. The Orienting Reflex and Attention [in Russian], Nauka, Moscow (1966), pp. 41–46.
R. A. Durinyan, Cortical Control of Nonspecific Brain Systems [in Russian], Meditsina, Moscow (1975), 203 pp.
M. V. Kirzon and A. Ya. Kaplan, "Role of the thalamic reticular nucleus in integration of extrathalamic inputs regulating the sensory inflow," Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR,236, 481 (1977).
D. Albe-Fessard and J. M. Besson, "Convergent thalamic and cortical projection — the non-specific system," in: Handbook of Sensory Physiology, Vol. II, Somatosensory System, edited by A. Iggo, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, and New York (1973), pp. 489–560.
D. Albe-Fessard and E. Gillett, "Convergences d'afférences d'origines corticale et périphérique vers le centre median du chat anesthésié ou éveillé," Electroencepth. Clin. Neurophysiol.,13, 257 (1961).
D. Albe-Fessard and L. Kruger, "Duality of unit discharges from cat centrum medianum in response to natural and electrical stimulation," J. Neurophysiol.,25, 3 (1962).
D. Albe-Fessard and A. Mallart, "Existence de réponses d'origines visuelle et auditive dans le centre median du thalamus du chat," C. R. Acad. Sci.,251, 1040 (1960).
R. Dingledine and J. S. Kelly, "Brain stem stimulation and the acetylcholine-evoked inhibition of neurones in the feline nucleus reticularis thalami," J. Physiol. (London),271, 135 (1977).
D. M. Feeney, J. M. Schlag, J. Villablanca, and M. Waszak, "Depression of centrum medianum complex response by rostral thalamic lesion," Exp. Neurol.,26, 401 (1970).
M. Filion, Y. Lamarre, and J. Cordeau, "Activités unitaires du noyau lateralis du thalamus au cours de la veille et du sommeil," J. Physiol. (Paris),61, Suppl. 2, 290 (1969).
R. A. Hallowitz and P. D. McLean, "Effects of vagal volleys on unit activity of medial thalamic nuclei in squirrel monkeys(Saimiri scivrens)," Fed. Proc.,33, 342 (1974).
R. Hassler, "Hexapartition of inputs as a primary role of the thalamus," in: Corticothalamic Projection and Sensory Motor Activity, edited by T. L. Frigyesi, E. Rinvik, and M. D. Yahr, Raven Press, New York (1972), pp. 551–580.
F. E. Horvath and P. Buser, "Relationships between two types of thalamic unit discharges and cortical spindle waves," Brain Res.,103, 560 (1976).
T. Hotta and S. Terashima, "Correlation between activity of the visual cortex and the somatovisual interaction in the lateral thalamus of cats," Brain Res.,2, 160 (1966).
H. H. Jasper and C. Ajmone-Marsan, A Stereotaxic Atlas of the Diencephalon of the Cat, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (1954).
Y. Lamarre, M. Filion, and J. Cordeau, "Neuronal discharges of the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus during sleep and wakefulness in the cat. I. Spontaneous activity," Exp. Brain Res.,12, 480 (1971).
M. Magnin and P. Putkonen, "A new vestibular thalamic area; electrophysiological study of the thalamic reticular nucleus and of the ventral lateral geniculate complex of the cat," Exp. Brain Res.,32, 91 (1978).
J. Massion, P. Angaut, and D. Albe-Fessard, "Activités évoquées chez le chat dans la régions du nucleus ventralis lateralis par diverses stimulation sensorielles. II. Etude microphysiologique," Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol.,19, 452 (1965).
W. R. Mehler, "Further notes on the center median nucleus of Luys," in: The Thalamus, D. P. Purpura and M. D. Yahr, eds., Columbia University Press, New York (1966), pp. 109–122.
J. K. Nyquist and J. H. Greenhoot, "Unit analysis of nonspecific thalamic responses to high-intensity cutaneous inputs in the cat," Exp. Neurol.,42, No. 3, 609 (1974).
R. T. Robertson, G. S. Lynch, and R. F. Thompson, Diencephalic distributions of ascending reticular systems," Brain Res.,55, 309 (1973).
M. Scheibel and A. Scheibel, "The organization of the nucleus reticularis thalami: a Golgi study," Brain Res., 1, 43 (1966).
M. Scheibel and A. Scheibel, "The organization of the ventral anterior nucleus of the thalamus. A Golgi study," Brain Res.,1, 250 (1966).
J. Schlag and M. Waszak, "Electrophysiological properties of units of the thalamic reticular complex," Exp. Neurol.,32, 79 (1971).
Additional information
A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 36–45, January–February, 1980.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Voloshin, M.Y., Prokopenko, V.F. Single unit responses of the reticular and ventral anterior nuclei of the thalamus to electrical stimulation of the centrum medianum. Neurophysiology 12, 30–37 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065266
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065266