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Changes in correlation between spontaneous activity of dorsal horn neurones lead to differential recruitment of inhibitory pathways in the cat spinal cord
Author(s) -
Chávez D.,
Rodríguez E.,
Jiménez I.,
Rudomin P.
Publication year - 2012
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.2011.223271
Subject(s) - inhibitory postsynaptic potential , spinal cord , dorsum , french horn , differential (mechanical device) , neuroscience , lead (geology) , differential effects , anatomy , biology , chemistry , endocrinology , psychology , physics , paleontology , pedagogy , thermodynamics
Key points • We have examined the functional organization of the neuronal ensembles involved in the generation of spontaneous cord dorsum potentials in the lumbo‐sacral spinal cord of the anaesthetized cat. • These potentials appear synchronously along several spinal segments and are generated by a longitudinally distributed network of bilaterally interconnected sets of dorsal horn neurones. • Low levels of synchronization of spontaneous neuronal activity within this network appear associated with activation of spinal pathways mediating glycinergic non‐reciprocal postsynaptic inhibition of motoneurones. • During states of spontaneous increased synchronization, or after the acute section of cutaneous nerves, there is a preferential activation of the GABAergic pathways producing primary afferent depolarization and presynaptic inhibition of muscle and cutaneous afferents. • It is suggested that modulation of the temporal synchronization of spontaneous activity of dorsal horn neurones might provide means for selection of alternatively operating inhibitory spinal pathways during different sensory and motor behaviours.