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Responses of the pyramidal tract to stimulation of the baboon's motor cortex
Author(s) -
Kernell D.,
Chien-Ping Wu
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008273
Subject(s) - pyramidal tracts , baboon , spinal cord , motor cortex , cortex (anatomy) , stimulation , neuroscience , anatomy , corticospinal tract , medicine , psychology , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , diffusion mri
1. The arm area of the baboon's precentral motor cortex was stimulated by brief surface‐anodal pulses, and the discharge of the corticospinal tract (the ‘pyramidal tract waves’) was recorded by an electrode resting on the dorsolateral surface of the cervical spinal cord. 2. Some properties of the pyramidal tract waves were described, and they were also studied in relation to the firing of single cortico spinal fibres. 3. The results led to the conclusion that the later pyramidal tract waves (the ‘I waves’) were almost exclusively due to a semi‐synchronous repetitive discharge of the same fast cortico spinal fibres as those responsible for the initial wave (the ‘D wave’). 4. Some problems concerning the origin and significance of the I waves were discussed.