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Sensory‐interference in rat primary somatosensory cortical neurons
Author(s) -
Alenda Andrea,
Nuñez Angel
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03150.x
Subject(s) - somatosensory system , neuroscience , sensory system , sensory stimulation therapy , stimulation , mecamylamine , bicuculline , basal forebrain , receptive field , stimulus (psychology) , muscarinic antagonist , cholinergic , sensory cortex , psychology , antagonist , medicine , receptor , psychotherapist
To study sensory interaction in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI), we registered 221 neurons in the SI of pentobarbital‐anaesthetized Wistar rats. Tactile stimulation was applied in the receptive field of the SI neuron with an electronically controlled probe (20 ms duration). Tactile stimulation elicited 2.33 ± 0.13 spikes per stimulus in SI neurons. Simultaneous application of paintbrush tickles of the contralateral limb usually decreased tactile responses (1.59 ± 0.11 spikes per stimulus). This effect was considered a ‘sensory‐interference’. Light flashes applied at random did not modify tactile response. Applying atropine (1 mm), a muscarinic receptor antagonist, and bicuculline (1 mm), a GABAA receptor antagonist, to the SI cortex blocked the sensory‐interference effect, while application of mecamylamine (10 mm), a nicotinic cholinergic receptor antagonist, did not affect sensory‐interference. Results reveal sensory interactions in SI cortex that control tactile responses, and suggest the participation of the basal forebrain in the sensory‐interference effect.