Open AccessResponses to stimulation of the motor area of the cerebral cortex
Author(s) -
Sybil Cooper,
D. DennyBrown
Publication year - 1927
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series b, containing papers of a biological character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9185
pISSN - 0950-1193
DOI - 10.1098/rspb.1927.0053
Subject(s) - stimulus (psychology) , stimulation , motor cortex , neuroscience , anatomy , cerebral cortex , psychology , biology , psychotherapist
In a previous paper on concurrent mechanical and electrical responses to stimulation of the motor cortex in the monkey (3), we reported the transmission of stimulus rates of 18 to 68 a second. We were unable at that time to carry the enquiry farther owing to lack of means of obtaining higher variable rates of stimulus. Since then we have improvised apparatus giving higher rates and have been able to continue this part of our investigation, using rates up to 290 a second. The object was to determine the upper limit of rate of stimulus which would be transmitted directly to the muscle. We have also been able to collect much information as to the effects of low rates of stimulus, latent periods and the nature of cortical motor innervation as a whole. In the course of the work six further monkeys were used, all smallMacacus Rhesus . Of these two had also been used for experiments having no bearing on the present subject and not of a nature to affect our results. The animals were prepared as previously described and the muscles from which records were obtained were M.brachialis anticus , M.flexor profundus digitorum , M.extensor carpi radialis and M.triceps brachii .