Summary
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1.
Inhibitory activity in the cat medial geniculate body (MG) was examined by stimulating electrically and acoustically the input and output of the MG.
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2.
A longer and more profound depression of excitability occurs following a click-evoked potential in the MG than in the inferior colliculus (IC) in both anesthetized and unanesthetized states. Recovery is cyclic in the barbiturate MG preparation.
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3.
Electrical stimulation of the brachium of the inferior colliculus (BIG) evokes a field potential in the MG consisting of clearly distinguishable presynaptic and postsynaptic components. The presynaptic component recovers rapidly, while the postsynaptic component requires 100–200 msec for full recovery. This depression of excitability is localized within the MG since cortical ablation does not alter its occurrence.
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4.
Stimulation of the BIC mimics the effects of click stimulation on single units. Excitatory, inhibitory and reverberatory responses are evoked by the BIC shock. Suppression of single unit activity correlates with the depression of excitability following a BIC-evoked field response.
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5.
Cortical stimulation can evoke antidromic and trans-synaptic unit responses in the MG, as well as causing a variety of inhibitory effects and reverberation. In view of the fact that cortical ablation does not impair the recording of these responses to afferent stimuli, it is suggested that the cortical-evoked responses are at least partly mediated by antidromic conduction to MG.
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6.
Evidence is presented that inhibitory effects of both afferent and cortical stimulation are due to active inhibition of MG unit activity. Speculations are made as to the mechanisms producing inhibition and reverberation in the MG.
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Aitkin, L.M., Dunlop, C.W. Inhibition in the medial geniculate body of the cat. Exp Brain Res 7, 68–83 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236108
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236108