Abstract
Experiments on immobilized, unanesthetized cats showed that interoceptive afferent impulses reaching the brain via the vagus nerves evoke marked responses in, on average, 43% of superior collicular neurons. Both excitatory and inhibitory effects were observed. The latter were found more often during single stimulation of the vagus nerve. In half of the cases the inhibitory responses were characterized by the development of initial inhibition, clearly limited in time to between 180 and 1700 msec. Changes in spike activity of 60% of units were tonic in character. The onset of phasic responses with an initial period of activation was observed in only 9–11% of neurons. The number of these cells and also the total number of responding neurons were greater than when series of stimuli were applied to the vagus nerve. In individual cells during prolonged repetitive stimulation of the nerve gradual weakening of the responses took place. Somatic stimulation evoked mainly the development of phasic responses of excitatory type. Most of the neurons tested were bimodal and often the temporal structure of their responses was determined by the modality of the stimulus applied. The functional role of the changes discovered in spontaneous activity of superior collicular neurons under interoceptive influences and the central mechanisms of realization of such influences on the activity of the neuronal system in this brain structure are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
V. N. Bochorishvili, “Role of the superior colliculus in the formation of conditioned instrumental motor-defensive reflexes to visual stimulation,” in: Functional and Structural Bases of the Activity of Brain Systems and Mechanisms of Brain Plasticity [in Russian], No. 5, Moscow (1976), pp. 7–10.
I. A. Zambrzhitskii, The Limbic Region of the Brain [in Russian], Meditsina, Moscow (1972), 280 pp.
P. G. Kostyuk and N. N. Preobrazhenskii, Mechanisms of Integration of Visceral and Somatic Afferent Stimuli [in Russian], Nauka, Leningrad (1975), 223 pp.
O. F. Makarchenko, R. R. Velika, and V. M. Il'yin, “The hypothalamus and visual system,” Fiziol. Zh. (Ukr.),23, 688 (1977).
N. I. Pityk, “Unit responses of the cat lateral geniculate bodies to visceral and somatic stimulation,” Neirofiziologiya,5, 246 (1973).
N. I. Pityk, “Interaction between visceral, somatic and visual excitation on single neurons of the lateral geniculate body in cats,” Neirofiziologiya,5, 636 (1973).
N. I. Pityk, “Role of interoceptive afferent excitation in sensory integration on neurons of the cat visual cortex,” Neirofiziologiya,9, 361 (1977).
O. N. Slobodchikova, “Changes in receptive field of tectal neurons evoked by vestibular and acoustic stimulation in pigeons,” Neirofiziologiya,7, 178 (1975).
G. D. Smirnov, “Physiology of the visual centers,” in: The Physiology of Sensory Systems. Part 1. The Physiology of Vision [in Russian], Nauka, Leningrad (1971), pp. 150–179.
V. L. Silakov, M. M. Khananashvili, B. T. Moroz, N. I. Pityk, and V. D. Perkhurova, “Neuronal mechanisms of sensory integration in the visual system,” Zh. Vyssh. Nerv. Deyat.,27, 1207 (1977).
V. L. Silakov and Z. S. Khanaeva, “Unit activity in the superior colliculus after removal of corticofugal control,” Neirofiziologiya,10, 54 (1978).
K. V. Sudakov, Biological Motivations [in Russian], Meditsina, Moscow (1971), 304 pp.
Z. S. Khanaeva, “On projection of the periphery in the superior colliculus of the cat,” Soobshch. Akad. Nauk Gruz. SSSR,64, 173 (1971).
E. G. Shkol'nik-Yarros, “Morphology of the visual system,” in: The Physiology of the Sensory Systems. Part 1. The physiology of Vision [in Russian], Leningrad (1971), pp. 14–36.
J. Altman, “Some fiber projections to the superior colliculus in the cat,” J. Comp. Neurol.,119, 77(1962).
M. Callens, G. Orban, and C. Lauwers, “Convergence visuelle et acoustique sur les neurones de tubercle quadrijumeau antérieur chez le chat,” J. Physiol. (Paris),59, 367 (1967).
M. Callens, G. Orban, and C. Lauwers, “Modification by acoustical stimulation of the visually induced discharge patterns of colliculus superior neurons in the cat,” Arch. Intern. Physiol. Biochim.,75, 340 (1967).
J. R. Cotter, “Visual and nonvisual units recorded from the optic tectum ofGallus domesticus,” Brain Behav. Evol.,13, 1 (1976).
U. C. Drager and D. H. Hubel, “Responses to visual stimulation and relationship between visual, auditory, and somatosensory inputs in mouse superior colliculus,” J. Neurophysiol.,38, 690 (1975).
D. Gerschenfeld, “Somesthetic and visual responses of superior colliculus neurons,” Nature,208, 898 (1965).
B. Gordon, “Receptive fields in deep layers of cat superior colliculus,” J. Neurophysiol.,36, 157 (1973).
G. Horn and R. M. Hill, “Responsiveness to sensory stimulation of units in the superior colliculus and subjacent tectotegmental regions of the rabbit,” Exp. Neurol.,14, 199 (1966).
M. Kase and M. Kato, “Influence of bilateral round window stimulation on neurons of superficial layer of cat superior colliculus,” Acta. Soc. Ophthalmol. Jpn.,79, 1273 (1975).
P. P. Newman, Visceral Afferent Functions of the Nervous System, Edward Arnold, London (1974), 273pp.
A. Roucoux, M. Crommelinck, and M. Roucoux-Hanus, “Potentiels évoqués au niveau des tubercles quadri jumeaux antérieurs de chat par la stimulation labyrinthique,” J. Physiol. (Paris),65, 488 (1972/1973).
A. Routtenberg and F. Taub, “Hippocampus and superior colliculus: congruent EEG activity demonstrated by a single measure,” Behav. Biol.,8, 801 (1973).
K. Sacai, L. Leger, D. Salvert, M. Touret, and M. Jouvet, “Mise en evidence d'une projection directe des aires hypothalamiques vers le corps genouillé latéral et le cortex visuel chez let chat par le technique de peroxydase,” Experientia,31., 1350 (1975).
M. E. Scheibel, A. B. Scheibel, A. Mollica, and G. Moruzzi, “Convergence and interaction of afferent impulses on single units of reticular formation,” J. Neurophysiol.,18, 309 (1955).
K. Schimizu, “Superior colliculus: its functional significance relative to the optic and auditory systems,” Med. J. Osaka Univ., No.1, 39 (1959).
P. A. Schwartzkroin, “Effects of round window stimulation on unit discharges in the visual cortex and superior colliculus,” Exp. Brain Res.,17, 527 (1973).
T. S. Sotnichenko, “Convergence of the descending pathways of motor, visual, and limbic cortex in the cat di- and mesencephalon,” Brain Res.,116, 401 (1976).
J. M. Sprague and T. N. Meikle, Jr., “The role of the superior colliculus in visually guided behavior,” Exp. Neurol.,11, 115 (1965).
B. E. Stein, B. Magalhaes-Castro, and L. Kruger, “Relationship betweenvisual and tactile representations in cat superior colliculus,” J. Neurophysiol.,39, 401 (1976).
B. V. Updyke, “Characteristics of unit responses in superior colliculus of the Cebus monkey,” J. Neurophysiol.,37, 896 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 590–596, November–December, 1978.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pityk, N.I. Participation of interoceptive afferent impulses in polymodal responses of superior collicular neurons in the cat. Neurosci Behav Physiol 11, 293–298 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01184425
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01184425