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Stimulation of cranial vessels excites nociceptive neurones in several thalamic nuclei of the cat

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Summary

Extracellular recordings were made in the thalamus of cats anaesthetized with chloralose and urethane following electrical, mechanical and chemical stimulation of the superior sagittal sinus or middle meningeal artery. Facial receptive fields were looked for using electrical and mechanical stimuli. The locations of fifty-six cells were verified histologically. Twenty six cells were located in the ventroposteromedial nucleus (VPM) and six in its ventral periphery (VPMvp). All units in VPM had facial receptive fields, usually involving the first trigeminal division. Cells with nociceptive receptive fields or responding to the craniovascular application of bradykinin were often found in the periphery or “shell” region of VPM. Other craniovascular nociceptive cells were found in VPMvp, in the posterior group and in the intralaminar complex. This study shows that craniovascular afferents in the cat project to several thalamic nuclei and implicate VPM especially in craniovascular nociception.

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Abbreviations

CeM:

Central medial nucleus

CM:

Centre médian nucleus

eml:

external medullary lamina

HT:

Habenulopeduncular tract

LGN:

Lateral geniculate complex

LP:

Lateral posterior complex

OT:

Optic tract

POm:

Posterior complex, medial nucleus

PP:

Pes pedunculi

R:

Reticular nucleus

VMb:

Basal ventral medial nucleus

VPL:

Ventroposterolateral nucleus

VPM:

Ventroposteromedial nucleus

VPMvp:

Ventroposteromedial nucleus (ventral periphery)

ZI:

Zona incerta

Other: SSS:

superior sagittal sinus

MMA:

middle meningeal artery

RF:

receptive field

NS:

nociceptive specific

WDR:

wide dynamic range

LTM:

low threshold mechanoreceptor

INH:

inhibitory

UNC:

uncertain

BK:

bradykinin

PeST:

peristimulus

PoST:

poststimulus

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neurological Sciences, Prince Henry and Prince of Wales Hospitals, Sydney, Australia

    A. S. Zagami & G. A. Lambert

  2. School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    A. S. Zagami & G. A. Lambert

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  1. A. S. Zagami
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  2. G. A. Lambert
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Zagami, A.S., Lambert, G.A. Stimulation of cranial vessels excites nociceptive neurones in several thalamic nuclei of the cat. Exp Brain Res 81, 552–566 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02423504

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02423504

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