Reticulospinal inhibition of interneurones

Abstract

1. The effect of electrical stimulation of the brain stem on interneurones in the dorsal horn and intermediary region has been investigated in decerebrate cats after partial transection of the spinal cord.2. Stimuli that effectively depress reflex transmission without giving a primary afferent depolarization inhibit the discharge evoked from the flexor reflex afferents in interneurones.3. Brain stem stimulation did not give post-synaptic potentials in the great majority of interneurones but effectively depressed the excitatory post-synaptic potentials (EPSPs) and inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (IPSPs) evoked from the flexor reflex afferents in these interneurones.4. IPSPs were, however, evoked in five of seventy-eight intracellularly recorded interneurones. These five interneurones were monosynaptically activated from primary afferents.5. It is tentatively postulated that a dorsal reticulospinal system inhibits reflex transmission by giving post-synaptic inhibition in first order interneurones. The results are also discussed in relation to effects on interneurones from other descending pathways.