Conclusions
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1.
Mechanical (prick) and electrical (ESS) nociceptive stimulation of the tail base in awake rats with a firmly positioned skull is accompanied by a rearrangement of the impulse activity of the majority of neurons of the ventromedial areas of the midbrain, closely correlating with the motor activity of the animals and variations in AP, regularly observed during such actions. Qualitatively similar but in some cases less marked changes in the discharge activity of the cells occur on nonnociceptive mechanical stimulation (tail pinching with fingers) and the spontaneous motor activity of the animals.
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2.
The prolonged tonic nature of the rearrangements of impulsation of the majority of neurons and their correlation with changes in EMG and AP arising both spontaneously and in response to stimuli can be taken as evidence for their close relationship to behavior of passive avoidance aimed at ridding the animals of aversive stimulation.
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3.
The type of impulsation rearrangements (stimulation, inhibition) differs considerably in cells differing from each other in the frequency and rhythm of impulse activity, the shape and duration of the spike, and also the preferential location in the different zones of the area investigated, which may be associated with their neuromediator specificity.
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Translated from Zhurnal Vysshei Deyatel'nosti imeni I. P. Pavlova, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 336–344, September–October, 1987.
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Kiyatkin, E.A., Zhukov, V.N. Impulse activity of mesencephalic neurons on nociceptive stimulation in awake rats. Neurosci Behav Physiol 18, 393–400 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01193885
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01193885