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Distribution and properties of commissural and other neurons in cat sensorimotor cortex
Author(s) -
Miller Robert
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.901640307
Subject(s) - commissure , neuroscience , biology , antidromic , motor cortex , cortex (anatomy) , primary motor cortex , anatomy , sensory system , electrophysiology , stimulation
Abstract Commissural, cortico‐cortical and cortico‐caudate neurons have been investigated in the primary sensorimotor cortex of the cat, using antidromic stimulation techniques, and histological identification of recording sites. These neurons are to be found in all cortical laminae except the first; commissural and cortico‐cortical neurons were found to be commonest in laminae III and VI, whilst cortico‐caudate neurons were most abundant on the border between laminae III and V, in motor areas. In sensory areas topographically identified as representing distal parts of limbs, commissural neurons are very rare, confirming neuroanatomical studies on the origin and termination of callosal fibres. The intracerebral neuronal projections investigated in this study had slow conduction velocities (less than 1 m/sec, up to about 10 m/sec). It was found that projections from area 6, whether commissural, cortico‐caudate, or corticopeduncular have slower conduction velocities than their counterparts from area 4. It is suggested that this is related to the type of motor control in which these two areas are involved (slowly‐responding postural movements, as opposed to more rapid distal limb movements). No neurons were found which had both commissural (or cortico‐cortical), and cortico‐fugal projections.