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- Title
Sensory-interference in rat primary somatosensory cortical neurons.
- Authors
Alenda, Andrea; Nuñez, Angel
- Abstract
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.
- Subjects
NEURAL transmission; MUSCARINIC receptors; SENSORY receptors; NEUROPHYSIOLOGY; EVOKED potentials (Electrophysiology); GABA; CEREBRAL cortex; PARASYMPATHETIC nervous system; ANIMAL models in research
- Publication
European Journal of Neuroscience, 2004, Vol 19, Issue 3, p766
- ISSN
0953-816X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03150.x