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Nuclei in which functionally identified spinothalamic tract neurons terminate
Author(s) -
Applebaum A. E.,
Leonard R. B.,
Kenshalo D. R.,
Martin R. F.,
Willis W. D.
Publication year - 1979
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.901880405
Subject(s) - spinothalamic tract , thalamus , antidromic , neuroscience , biology , sensory system , nucleus , spinal cord , anatomy , electrophysiology , nociception , biochemistry , receptor
The approximate level of termination of the axons of individual, functionally characterized spinothalamic tract neurons within the monkey thalamus was mapped by antidromic activation using a monopolar electrode which was moved in a systematic grid of tracks through the thalamus. The course of individual axons could be followed through several thalamic levels, and in a few cases branches to both the VPL nucleus and to the intralaminar nuclei were demonstrated. Most of the axons studied, however, projected just to the VPL c or VPL o nuclei. The spinothalamic tract cells that projected to the VPL c nucleus included representatives of all known functional categories: low threshold, wide dynamic range, high threshold and “deep”. It is speculated that these different classes of spinothalamic projections could make contributions to such sensory modalities as touch, proprioception and pain.