Summary
Mapping of cells at the origin of the rubrospinal tract was conducted in the cat.
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1.
Rubrospinal neurons sending efferents to cervico-thoracic segments of the spinal cord are located in the dorso-medial part of the nucleus. These neurons are especially medial in the caudal planes and especially dorsal in the rostral planes. Neurons with efferents terminating at the level of lumbo-sacral segments of the cord occupy the ventro-lateral part of the nucleus. These neurons are especially lateral in the caudal planes and especially ventral in the rostral planes. The limit between these two cell populations is clear in the caudal and middle thirds of the nucleus but considerable overlap is seen in the rostral third. These results agree with the anatomical findings of Pompeiano and Brodal (1957).
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For the population of lumbar neurons the conduction velocities ranged from 31 m/sec to more than 120 m/sec with a mean of 85 m/sec.
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Rubrospinal cells are found throughout the nucleus. The most caudal planes are essentially composed of cells with rapidly conducting fibers whereas in the middle and rostral planes a cell population with increasingly slower conducting fibers appears.
The results of the present study are discussed in relation to classical data on the magnocellular and parvocellular divisions of the red nucleus.
2.The third author acknowledge the personal support of the Medical Research Council of Canada.
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1. The authors are grateful to Dr. J. Massion for his advice and assistance during the course of these experiments, and to R. Haour, R. Massarino and P. Quilici for their technical assistance.
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Padel, Y., Armand, J. & Smith, A.M. Topography of rubrospinal units in the cat. Exp Brain Res 14, 363–371 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235033
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235033