scholarly journals Modulation of the Receptive Fields of Midbrain Neurons Elicited by Thalamic Electrical Stimulation through Corticofugal Feedback

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (40) ◽  
pp. 10651-10658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Wu ◽  
J. Yan
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Midbrain Neurons ◽  
Corticofugal Feedback

scholarly journals Electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis of meynert: a systematic review of preclinical and clinical data

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nazmuddin ◽  
Ingrid H. C. H. M. Philippens ◽  
Teus van Laar
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Clinical Data ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Lewy Body Dementia ◽  
Clinical Situation ◽  
Nucleus Basalis ◽  
Nucleus Basalis Of Meynert ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractDeep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) has been clinically investigated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD). However, the clinical effects are highly variable, which questions the suggested basic principles underlying these clinical trials. Therefore, preclinical and clinical data on the design of NBM stimulation experiments and its effects on behavioral and neurophysiological aspects are systematically reviewed here. Animal studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the NBM enhanced cognition, increased the release of acetylcholine, enhanced cerebral blood flow, released several neuroprotective factors, and facilitates plasticity of cortical and subcortical receptive fields. However, the translation of these outcomes to current clinical practice is hampered by the fact that mainly animals with an intact NBM were used, whereas most animals were stimulated unilaterally, with different stimulation paradigms for only restricted timeframes. Future animal research has to refine the NBM stimulation methods, using partially lesioned NBM nuclei, to better resemble the clinical situation in AD, and LBD. More preclinical data on the effect of stimulation of lesioned NBM should be present, before DBS of the NBM in human is explored further.

Receptive-field properties and neuronal connectivity in striate and parastriate cortex of contour-deprived cats

1976 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Singer ◽  
F. Tretter
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Visual Experience ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Connectivity Pattern ◽  
Area 18 ◽  
Efferent Connections ◽  
Receptive Field Properties ◽  
Areas 17 And 18

An attempt was made to relate the alterations of cortical receptive fields as they result from binocular visual deprivation to changes in afferent, intrinsic, and efferent connections of the striate and parastriate cortex. The experiments were performed in cats aged at least 1 jr with their eyelids sutured closed from birth.The results of the receptive-field analysis in A17 confirmed the reduction of light-responsive cells, the occasional incongruity of receptive-field properties in the two eyes, and to some extent also the loss of orientation and direction selectivity as reported previously. Other properties common to numerous deprived receptive fields were the lack of sharp inhibitory sidebands and the sometimes exceedingly large size of the receptive fields. Qualitatively as well as quantitatively, similar alterations were observed in area 18. A rather high percentage of cells in both areas had, however, preserved at least some orientation preference, and a few receptive fields had tuning properties comparable to those in normal cats. The ability of area 18 cells in normal cats to respond to much higher stimulus velocities than area 17 cells was not influenced by deprivation.The results obtained with electrical stimulation suggest two main deprivation effects: 1) A marked decrease in the safety factor of retinothalamic and thalamocortical transmission. 2) A clear decrease in efficiency of intracortical inhibition. But the electrical stimulation data also show that none of the basic principles of afferent, intrinsic, and efferent connectivity is lost or changed by deprivation. The conduction velocities in the subcortical afferents and the differentiation of the afferents to areas 17 and 18 into slow- and fast-conducting projection systems remain unaltered. Intrinsic excitatory connections remain functional; this is also true for the disynaptic inhibitory pathways activated preferentially by the fast-conducting thalamocortical projection. The laminar distribution of cells with monosynaptic versus polsynaptic excitatory connections is similar to that in normal cats. Neurons with corticofugal axons remain functionally connected and show the same connectivity pattern as those in normal cats. The nonspecific activation system from the mesencephalic reticular formation also remains functioning both at the thalamic and the cortical level.We conclude from these and several other observations that most, if not all, afferent, intrinsic, and efferent connections of areas 17 and 18 are specified from birth and depend only little on visual experience. This predetermined structural plan, however, allows for some freedom in the domain of orientation tuning, binocular correspondence, and retinotopy which is specified only when visual experience is possible.

scholarly journals Anesthetic state modulates excitability but not spectral tuning or neural discrimination in single auditory midbrain neurons

2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 500-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Schumacher ◽  
David M. Schneider ◽  
Sarah M. N. Woolley
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Sensory Function ◽  
Spectral Tuning ◽  
Auditory Midbrain ◽  
Sensory Physiology ◽  
Neural Excitability ◽  
Midbrain Neurons ◽  
Spectrotemporal Receptive Fields

The majority of sensory physiology experiments have used anesthesia to facilitate the recording of neural activity. Current techniques allow researchers to study sensory function in the context of varying behavioral states. To reconcile results across multiple behavioral and anesthetic states, it is important to consider how and to what extent anesthesia plays a role in shaping neural response properties. The role of anesthesia has been the subject of much debate, but the extent to which sensory coding properties are altered by anesthesia has yet to be fully defined. In this study we asked how urethane, an anesthetic commonly used for avian and mammalian sensory physiology, affects the coding of complex communication vocalizations (songs) and simple artificial stimuli in the songbird auditory midbrain. We measured spontaneous and song-driven spike rates, spectrotemporal receptive fields, and neural discriminability from responses to songs in single auditory midbrain neurons. In the same neurons, we recorded responses to pure tone stimuli ranging in frequency and intensity. Finally, we assessed the effect of urethane on population-level representations of birdsong. Results showed that intrinsic neural excitability is significantly depressed by urethane but that spectral tuning, single neuron discriminability, and population representations of song do not differ significantly between unanesthetized and anesthetized animals.

Corticogeniculate neurons, corticotectal neurons, and suspected interneurons in visual cortex of awake rabbits: receptive-field properties, axonal properties, and effects of EEG arousal

1987 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 977-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Swadlow ◽  
T. G. Weyand
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Spontaneous Firing ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Axonal Conduction ◽  
Conduction Velocities ◽  
Stimulation Of

The intrinsic stability of the rabbit eye was exploited to enable receptive-field analysis of antidromically identified corticotectal (CT) neurons (n = 101) and corticogeniculate (CG) neurons (n = 124) in visual area I of awake rabbits. Eye position was monitored to within 1/5 degrees. We also studied the receptive-field properties of neurons synaptically activated via electrical stimulation of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd). Whereas most CT neurons had either complex (59%) or motion/uniform (15%) receptive fields, we also found CT neurons with simple (9%) and concentric (4%) receptive fields. Most complex CT cells were broadly tuned to both stimulus orientation and velocity, but only 41% of these cells were directionally selective. We could elicit no visual responses from 6% of CT cells, and these cells had significantly lower conduction velocities than visually responsive CT cells. The median spontaneous firing rates for all classes of CT neurons were 4-8 spikes/s. CG neurons had primarily simple (60%) and concentric (9%) receptive fields, and none of these cells had complex receptive fields. CG simple cells were more narrowly tuned to both stimulus orientation and velocity than were complex CT cells, and most (85%) were directionally selective. Axonal conduction velocities of CG neurons (mean = 1.2 m/s) were much lower than those of CT neurons (mean = 6.4 m/s), and CG neurons that were visually unresponsive (23%) had lower axonal conduction velocities than did visually responsive CG neurons. Some visually unresponsive CG neurons (14%) responded with saccadic eye movements. The median spontaneous firing rates for all classes of CG neurons were less than 1 spike/s. All neurons synaptically activated via LGNd stimulation at latencies of less than 2.0 ms had receptive fields that were not orientation selective (89% motion/uniform, 11% concentric), whereas most cells with orientation-selective receptive fields had considerably longer synaptic latencies. Most short-latency motion/uniform neurons responded to electrical stimulation of the LGNd (and visual area II) with a high-frequency burst (500-900 Hz) of three or more spikes. Action potentials of these neurons were of short duration, thresholds of synaptic activation were low, and spontaneous firing rates were the highest seen in rabbit visual cortex. These properties are similar to those reported for interneurons in several regions in mammalian central nervous system. Nonvisual sensory stimuli that resulted in electroencephalographic arousal (hippocampal theta activity) had a profound effect on the visual responses of many visual cortical neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Responses of neurons in VPL and VPL-VL region of the cat to algesic stimulation of muscle and tendon

1983 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 649-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Kniffki ◽  
K. Mizumura
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Mechanical Stimulation ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Transitional Zone ◽  
The Other ◽  
Group Iii ◽  
Group I ◽  
Nociceptive Information ◽  
Noxious Mechanical Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

1. The responses evoked by electrical stimulation of cutaneous and muscle nerves, by noxious and innocuous mechanical stimulation of muscle, tendon, and cutaneous tissues, and by intra-arterial (ia) injection of algesic substances (potassium, bradykinin) into arteries supplying the gastrocnemius-soleus muscle (GS) were studied in single neurons located in the ventroposterolateral nucleus (VPL) and in the transitional zone between VPL and the ventrolateral nucleus (VL) of cats lightly anesthetized with thiopenthal. Such chemical stimulation of the muscles has been shown to activate muscular groups III and IV axons specifically (43, 44) and presumably is nociceptive in character (14, 17, 31). 2. One hundred eight neurons were tested. Eighty-three of the units responded only to various types of cutaneous stimulation of the hindlimb. The other 25 responded to algesic stimulation of muscle and/or tendon. Of these latter 25, 7 had no apparent cutaneous receptive field although 4 of them responded to electrical stimulation of the common peroneal and/or sural nerve. Thus, only three neurons responded exclusively to algesic chemical and noxious mechanical stimulation of the muscle. Of the other 18 neurons, 14 had cutaneous receptive fields restricted to the hindlimb and often responded to non-noxious repetitive light stroking and to noxious pinching with a high-frequency discharge. Four cells (two of which had cutaneous input only from low-threshold mechanoreceptors) had complex and large receptive fields extending to more than one limb. 3. Potassium was a more potent muscle receptor stimulant than bradykinin, the latter only weakly exciting 3 neurons of 24 tested with both substances. The responses to potassium were rapid (approximately 4.0 s in latency) and tended to be greater (have higher response rates) for the units that responded to cutaneous as well as muscle/tendon stimulation. 4. Most neurons that responded to noxious deep stimulation had a threshold for the GS nerve volley in the group III fiber range. The few neurons with thresholds slightly below the group III range did not respond to activation of group I or II muscle spindle afferents by intra-arterial application of succinylcholine or by stretching the muscle. 5. Neurons with responses to any of the muscle, tendon, or cutaneous nociceptive stimuli were located at the ventral and dorsal periphery of VPL and in the VPL-VL transitional zone. 6. These results strongly suggest that there exist regions within the lateral diencephalon of cats that are capable of processing nociceptive information and that these regions are located at the periphery of VPL.

Splanchnic and somatic afferent convergence on cervical spinal neurons of the rat

1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (1) ◽  
pp. R268-R276 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. W. Akeyson ◽  
L. P. Schramm
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Spinal Neurons ◽  
Somatic Afferents ◽  
Greater Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Somatic Input ◽  
Stimulation Of

The rostral cervical spinal cord is increasingly being considered the source of important propriospinal regulation. To better understand the substrate for this function, we investigated the effects of stimulation of the greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) and both thoracic and cervical somatic afferents on the activity of cervical spinal neurons. Extracellular single-neuron recordings were made in the C2-C5 spinal segments of chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated rats. Neurons were classified according to their responses to GSN stimulation. Neurons were inhibited by this stimulation as frequently as they were excited. We then studied the characteristics of cervical and thoracic convergent somatic input to each class of neurons. Although all cervical neurons that responded to GSN stimulation responded to electrical stimulation of the iliohypogastric nerve (IHN), only the few neurons that exhibited whole body receptive fields (RF) responded to natural thoracic somatic stimuli. Responses to electrical stimulation of the GSN and IHN were similar for most neurons; most exhibited nociceptive cutaneous RFs in cervical dermatomes. These data indicate that input from cervical somatic afferents and from both thoracic visceral and thoracic somatic afferents converge on individual splanchnic-receptive cervical neurons. Although these neurons exhibited the predicted cervical somatic RFs, responses from thoracic levels did not exhibit discrete RFs, requiring instead more synchronous or more spatially convergent input.

Chronic paw denervation causes an age-dependent appearance of novel responses from forearm in "paw cortex" of kittens and adult cats

1979 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 618-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kalaska ◽  
B. Pomeranz
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Peripheral Nerve Injury ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Similar Process ◽  
Nerve Injuries ◽  
Somatotopic Organization ◽  
Natural Stimulation ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Adult Cats ◽  
Stimulation Of

1. In normal kittens and cats, cells in a region of primary somatosensory cortex (SI) responded exclusively to input from the contralateral front paw; we called this area paw cortex (PC). A neighboring region of SI responded to input from the contralateral forearm above the wrist; we called this area forearm cortex (FC). The centers of PC and FC were about 4 mm apart. 2. In kittens several weeks after transection of the nerves to the front paw, the following changes were observed in PC: a) 52% of PC cells had receptive fields on the forearm; normally, PC cells responded to natural stimulation only of the front paw; b) many cells in PC (58%) responded to electrical stimulation of the medial cutaneous nerve from the forearm; normally, very few PC cells (9%) responded to this nerve; c) there was a 370% increase in the median amplitude of medial cutaneous-evoked potentials in PC; d) in contrast to these enhanced inputs, PC responses to ulnar nerve stimulation decreased significantly. 3. In adult cats, paw denervation initiated a similar process as in kittens, but with less marked somatotopic changes. 4. In both kittens and adults, FC was unaffected by the nerve injuries. 5. We conclude that a chronic peripheral nerve injury can produce extensive changes in SI cortex somatotopic organization; the nature of the effect is age dependent.

scholarly journals Effect of electrical stimulation of receptive fields in people with lower limb amputation on variables of gait

IBRO Reports ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 78-84
Author(s):  
Michael Pleus ◽  
Thomas Koller ◽  
Felix Tschui ◽  
Marion Grögli ◽  
Christina M. Spengler
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Lower Limb Amputation ◽  
Limb Amputation ◽  
Stimulation Of

scholarly journals Optimal delineation of single C-tactile and C-nociceptive afferents in humans by latency slowing

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 1608-1614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger H. Watkins ◽  
Johan Wessberg ◽  
Helena Backlund Wasling ◽  
James P. Dunham ◽  
Håkan Olausson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Mechanical Stimulation ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
High Threshold ◽  
Field Stimulation ◽  
Affective Touch ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Low Threshold ◽  
Repetitive Electrical Stimulation

C-mechanoreceptors in humans comprise a population of unmyelinated afferents exhibiting a wide range of mechanical sensitivities. C-mechanoreceptors are putatively divided into those signaling gentle touch (C-tactile afferents, CTs) and nociception (C-mechanosensitive nociceptors, CMs), giving rise to positive and negative affect, respectively. We sought to distinguish, compare, and contrast the properties of a population of human C-mechanoreceptors to see how fundamental the divisions between these putative subpopulations are. We used microneurography to record from individual afferents in humans and applied electrical and mechanical stimulation to their receptive fields. We show that C-mechanoreceptors can be distinguished unequivocally into two putative populations, comprising CTs and CMs, by electrically evoked spike latency changes (slowing). After both natural mechanical stimulation and repetitive electrical stimulation there was markedly less latency slowing in CTs compared with CMs. Electrical receptive field stimulation, which bypasses the receptor end organ, was most effective in classifying C-mechanoreceptors, as responses to mechanical receptive field stimulation overlapped somewhat, which may lead to misclassification. Furthermore, we report a subclass of low-threshold CM responding to gentle mechanical stimulation and a potential subclass of CT afferent displaying burst firing. We show that substantial differences exist in the mechanisms governing axonal conduction between CTs and CMs. We provide clear electrophysiological “signatures” (extent of latency slowing) that can be used in unequivocally identifying populations of C-mechanoreceptors in single-unit and multiunit microneurography studies and in translational animal research into affective touch. Additionally, these differential mechanisms may be pharmacologically targetable for separate modulation of positive and negative affective touch information. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Human skin encodes a plethora of touch interactions, and affective tactile information is primarily signaled by slowly conducting C-mechanoreceptive afferents. We show that electrical stimulation of low-threshold C-tactile afferents produces markedly different patterns of activity compared with high-threshold C-mechanoreceptive nociceptors, although the populations overlap in their responses to mechanical stimulation. This fundamental distinction demonstrates a divergence in affective touch signaling from the first stage of sensory processing, having implications for the processing of interpersonal touch.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document