Electrophysiological peculiarities of cortical inputs to the cat red nucleus

Abstract

Complex multicomponent EPSPs of the red nucleus rubro-spinal neurons evoked by stimulation of the sensorimotor cortex and associative fields of the parietal cortex were studied in acute pentobarbitalized cats by intracellular recording technique. Complex cortical EPSPs were recorded in 2/3 of the neurons studied. Components of the EPSPs in question were distinguished by using stimulation of various frequency and intensity. The first component of the EPSPs appearing at the lowest threshold was found to have a short and stable latency, stable rising time for depolarization and was able to follow high frequencies of stimulation. The second component was more variable, although in some EPSPs it too had a short latency, was stable enough and, like the first component could be classified as monosynaptic. The complex character of the EPSPs recorded persisted after the removal of the cerebral gray and was observed when stimulating the white matter so excluding its cortical origin. The first two components of the EPSP were evoked by corticofugal impulsation propagating at an average velocity of 18.5 m/s and 7.5 m/s being supposedly the result of activation of the slow-conducting pyramidal and cortico-rubral neurons. In some rubro-spinal neurons they were characterized by a fast rising phase being apparently an electrophysiological manifestation of the activation of axosomatic synapses.