Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bilateral receptive fields of cells in rat Sm1 cortex

  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Single cells in the primary somatosensory (Sm1) cortex were investigated for responses to bilateral hindpaw stimulation in Wistar rats anaesthetised by continuous intravenous administration of Althesin. Fifty-one percent of cells sampled (N = 134) responded to equivalent punctate mechanical stimuli delivered to both the contralateral and ipsilateral hindpaws under light anaesthesia. The distribution by cortical depth of cells with receptive fields (RFs) on both hindpaws was not significantly different from cells which had only contralateral RFs. No cell was found with a purely ipsilateral RF. For 86% of cells tested (N=44) the ipsilateral RF was partly or completely homologous with areas within the contralateral RF. The sizes of ipsilateral RFs were smaller on 66% of occasions when tested against their contralateral RFs. Modal latencies to ipsilateral mechanical stimulation were longer than to contralateral stimulation (34.1±9.1 ms (S.D) cf. 26.4±7.2 ms, N=44). Ipsilateral RFs were lost for 77% of cells tested following a 33% increase in anaesthetic infusion rate. Conditioning mechanical stimuli applied to the centre receptive field (CRF) on the ipsilateral hindpaw reduced or abolished a cell's responses to equivalent test stimuli applied to it's contralateral CRF with C-T intervals of 20–200 ms. Conditioning stimuli applied to the CRF contralateral to the cell reduced or abolished responses to test stimuli on the cell's ipsilateral CRF using C-T intervals of 0–900 ms. Responses in one cortex to stimulation of the ipsilateral hindpaw were unaffected by elimination of responses from the same hindpaw in the opposite contralateral Sm1 cortex, where responses had been suppressed by topical Lignocaine administration. Retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase from hindpaw Sm1 cortex labelled many cells in homolateral thalamus, but failed to label cells in the entire forebrain contralateral to the injection site. It is concluded that direct crossed thalamocortical and callosal Sm1-Sm1 pathways do not contribute to the production of hindpaw ipsilateral receptive fields.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angel A, Lemon RN (1975) Sensorimotor cortical representation in the rat and the role of the cortex in the production of myoclonic jerks. J Physiol 248: 465–488

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong-James M, Caan AW (1985) Sensory specification and laminar localisation of distinct neuronal classes in rat Sm1 neocortex. J Physiol 361: 46P

  • Armstrong-James M, Fox K (1983) Effects of iontophoresed Noradrenaline on the spontaneous activity of neurones in rat primary somatosensory cortex. J Physiol 355: 427–447

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong-James M, Fox K (1987) Spatiotemporal convergence and divergence in the rat SI “Barrel” cortex. J Comp Neurol 263: 265–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong-James M, George MJ (1985) Bilateral synchronous firing and receptive fields of single units in Sm1 neocortex of the Althesin-anaesthetised rat. J Physiol 360: 27P

  • Armstrong-James M, George MJ (1987) The influence of anaesthesia on spontaneous activity and receptive field size of single units in rat Sm1 neocortex. Exp Neurol (in press)

  • Baker MA (1969) Spontaneous and evoked activity of neurones in the somatosensory thalamus of the waking cat. J Physiol 217: 359–380

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker MA, Giesler GJ (1984) Anatomical studies of the spinocervical tract of the rat. Somatosens Res 2: 1–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks VB, Rudomin P, Slayman CL (1961a) Sensory activation of neurones in the cat's cerebral cortex. J Neurophysiol 24: 286–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks VB, Rudomin P, Slayman CL (1961b) Peripheral receptive fields of neurons in the cat's cerebral cortex. J Neurophysiol 24: 302–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Buser P, Imbert M (1961) Sensory projections to the motor cortex in cats; a microelectrode study. In: Rosenblith WA (ed) Sensory communication. M.I.T. Press, Cambridge Mass, pp 607–626

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapin JK, Lin C-S (1984) Mapping of the body representation in the S1 cortex of the anaesthetised and awake rat. J Comp Neurol 229: 199–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapin JK, Waterhouse BD, Woodward DJ (1981) Differences in the cutaneous sensory response of single somatosensory cortical neurons in awake and halothane anesthetised rats. Brain Res Bull 6: 63–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen SM, Grundfest H (1954) Thalamic loci of electrical activity initiated by afferent impulses in the cat. J Neurophysiol 17: 193–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Curry MJ (1972) The exteroreceptive properties of neurones in the somatosensory part of the posterior group (PO). Brain Res 44: 439–462

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson N (1965) The projection of afferent pathways on the thalamus of the rat. J Comp Neurol 124: 377–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Doetsch GS, Towe AL (1976) Response properties of distinct neuronal subsets in hindlimb sensorimotor cerebral cortex of the domestic cat. Exp Neurol 53: 520–547

    Google Scholar 

  • Dreyer DA, Loe PR, Metz CB, Whitsel BL (1975) Representation of hand and face in postcentral gyrus of the macaque. J Neurophysiol 38: 714–733

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan GH, Dreyer DA, McKenna TM, Whitsel BL (1982) Dose and time dependant effects of ketamine on S1 neurons with cutaneous receptive fields. J Neurophysiol 47: 677–699

    Google Scholar 

  • Dusser de Barenne JG (1937) Sensory functions of the optic thalamus of the monkey (Macacus rhesus). Symptomalogy and functional localisation investigated with the method of local strychninisation. Arch Neurol Psychiat 38: 913–926

    Google Scholar 

  • Dykes RW (1978) The anatomy and physiology of the somatic sensory cortical regions. Prog Neurobiol 10: 33–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmers R (1965) Organisation of the first and second somesthetic regions (SI and SII) in the rat thalamus. J Comp Neurol 124: 215–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmers R, Crandall K (1966) Independent termination sites of the lemniscal and the spinothalamic afferents in the rat thalamus. Physiologist 9: 176

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner EP, Costanzo RM (1980a) Spatial integration of multiplepoint stimuli in primary somatosensory cortical receptive fields of alert monkey. J Neurophysiol 43: 420–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner EP, Costanzo RM (1980b) Temporal integration of multiple-point stimuli in primary somatosensory cortical receptive fields of alert monkey. J Neurophysiol 43: 444–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Giesler GJ, Nahin RL, Madsen AM (1984) Post synaptic dorsal column pathway of the rat. 1. Anatomical studies. J Neuro-physiol 51: 260–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Harding GW, Stogsdill RM, Towe Al (1979) Relative effects of pentobarbital and chloralose on the responsiveness of neurons in primary somatosensory cerebral cortex of the domestic cat. Neuroscience 4: 369–378

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris FA (1970) Population analysis of somatosensory thalamus in the cat. Nature London 225: 559–562

    Google Scholar 

  • Herkenham M (1980) Laminar organisation of thalamic projections in the rat neocortex. Science 207: 533–535

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt WE, O'Leary JL (1952) Form of thalamic response evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation. J Comp Neurol 97: 491–514

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivy GO, Akers RM, Killackey HP (1979) Differential distribution of callosal projection neurons in the neonatal and adult rat. Brain Res 173: 532–537

    Google Scholar 

  • Jabbur SJ, Baker MA, Towe AL (1972) Wide-field neurons in thalamic nucleus ventralis posterolateralis of the cat. Exp Neurol 36: 213–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaas JH (1983) What, if anything, is S1? Organisation of the first somatosensory area of the cortex. Physiol Rev 63: 206–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Lund RD, Webster KE (1967) Thalamic afferents from the spinal cord and trigeminal nuclei; an experimental study in the rat. J Comp Neurol 130: 313–328

    Google Scholar 

  • Mann MD (1979) Sets of neurons in somatic cerebral cortex of the cat and their ontogeny. Brain Res Rev 1: 3–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Manzoni T, Barbaresi P, Bellardinelli E, Caminiti R (1980) Callosal projections from the two body midlines. Exp Brain Res 39: 1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesulam MM (1978) Tetramethyl benzidine for horseradish peroxidase neurohistochemistry; a non-carcinogenic blue reaction product with superior sensitivity for visualizing neural afferents and efferents. J Histochem Cytochem 26: 106–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesulam M-M, Hegarty E, Barbas H, Gower EC, Knapp AG, Moss MB, Mufson EJ (1980) Additional factors influencing sensitivity of tetramethyl benzidine method for HRP neurochemistry. J Histochem Cytochem 28: 1255–1259

    Google Scholar 

  • Millar J, Basbaum AI, Wall PD (1976) The immediate shift of afferent drive of dorsal column nucleus cells following deafferentation: a comparison of acute and chronic deafferentation in gracile nucleus and spinal cord. Exp Neurol 52: 480–495

    Google Scholar 

  • Mountcastle VB (1957) Modality and topographic properties of single neurons of cat's somatic sensory cortex. J Neurophysiol 20: 408–434

    Google Scholar 

  • Mountcastle VB (1961) Some functional properties of the somatic afferent system. In: Rosenblith E (ed) Sensory communication. MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 403–436

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton HD, Towe AL, Kennedy TT (1963) Activation of pyramidal tract neurons by ipsilateral cutaneous stimuli. J Neurophysiol 25: 501–514

    Google Scholar 

  • Paxinos G, Watson C (1982) The rat brain in stereotaxic coordinates. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Perl ER, Whitlock DG (1961) Somatic stimuli exciting spinothalamic projections to thalamic neurons in cat and monkey. Exp Neurol 3: 256–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Poggio GF, Mountcastle VB (1960) A study of functional contributions of the leminiscal and spinothalamic systems to somatic sensibility. Central nervous mechanisms in pain. Bull John Hopkins Hosp 106: 266–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosene DL, Mesulam M-M (1978) Fixation variables for HRP neurochemistry. Effects of fixation time and perfusion procedures upon enzyme activity. J Histochem Cytochem 26: 28–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryugo DK, Killackey HP (1975) Corticocortical connections of the barrel field of rat somatosensory cortex. Neurosci Abstr 1: 126

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson DL (1973) Electrophysiological analysis of the interhemispheric relations in the second somatosensory area of the cat. Exp Brain Res 18: 131–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomasulo KC, Emmers R (1970) Spinal afferents to SI and SII of the rat thalamus. Exp Neurol 26: 482–497

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomasulo KC, Emmers R (1972) Activation of neurons in the gracile nucleus by two afferent pathways in the rat. Exp Neurol 36: 197–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Welker C (1971) Microelectrode delineation of fine grain somatotopic organization of Sm1 cerebral neocortex in albino rat. Brain Res 26: 259–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Wise SP, Jones EG (1978) Developmental studies of thalamocortical and commissural connections in the rat somatosensory cortex. J Comp Neurol 178: 187–208

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, The London Hospital Medical College, Turner Street, E1 2AD, London, UK

    M. Armstrong-James & M. J. George

Authors
  1. M. Armstrong-James
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. J. George
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Armstrong-James, M., George, M.J. Bilateral receptive fields of cells in rat Sm1 cortex. Exp Brain Res 70, 155–165 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271857

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271857

Key words

Search

Navigation