[Structural organization and Lugaro neuron connections in the cat cerebellar cortex]

Abstract

Two types of intermedial Lugaro cells are distinguished in the cat cerebellum: fusiform (horizontal, vertical and obliquely oriented at angles 60-70 to longitudinal axis of folia cerebelli at different levels of granular layer) and those with triangular somata, sparsely branching dendrites and small number of spines. Both fusiform and triangular neuron axons do not stretch out beyond the borders of cerebellar cortex and may be thought of as recurrent interneurons as they contain GABA and glycine. Lugaro cells form numerous contacts almost with all cortical nervous elements: piriform (Purkinje) and Golgi cells, granular and basket neurons, parallel and mossy fibres and even unipolar, (brush) cells. At light microscopic level they are represented as axosomatic and axodendritic contacts. Lugaro cells are the only cerebellar cortical interneurons with dendritic arborizarion oriented in horizontal plane in contrast to vertical orientation of the other interneurons of cerebellar cortex.