Elsevier

Experimental Neurology

Volume 22, Issue 2, October 1968, Pages 259-275
Experimental Neurology

Sensory hind-limb representation in Sml cortex of the cat. A unit analysis

https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4886(68)90056-3Get rights and content

Abstract

A unit analysis was made of mechanoreception in the hind limb area of the cat primary somatosensory cortex, SmI. A sample of 588 units was studied in this area. Eighty per cent of the units were influenced by light mechanical peripheral stimulation of the contralateral hind limb; the remainder were not influenced by any form of mechanical stimulation. No ipsilateral representation was found. Most excitable units were situated in the middle cortical layers. All were characterized by static lemniscal properties, i.e., short latency, and also place as well as modality specificity. These units were distributed with a somatotopic organization. Excitable units which could be defined in terms of adaptive property and adequate stimulus were classified as hair, touch, tap, pressure or joint. The representation of slowly-adapting joint receptors was slight, and there was no evidence for the representation of muscle stretch receptors or Golgi tendon organs. The submodalities which were represented were topographically distributed in caudomedial to rostrolateral gradients of epidermal and subepidermal receptors. This distribution appears to be correlated with the cortical architecture.

References (65)

  • B.L. Andrew

    The sensory innervation of the medial ligament of the knee joint

    J. Physiol. London

    (1954)
  • B.L. Andrew et al.

    The deployment of sensory nerve endings at the knee joint of the cat

    Acta Physiol. Scand.

    (1953)
  • P. Bard

    Studies on the cerebral cortex. I. Localized control of placing and hopping reactions in the cat and their normal management by small cortical remnants

    A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat.

    (1933)
  • P. Bessou et al.

    Some observations on receptors of soleus muscle innervated by Group III afferent fibres

    J. Physiol. London

    (1961)
  • P. Bessou et al.

    Etude des récepteurs musculaires innervés par les fibres afférents du groupe III (fibres myélinsées fines), chez le chat

    Arch. Ital. Biol.

    (1961)
  • J.E. Bogen et al.

    Recovery of foreleg placing after ipsilateral frontal lobectomy in the hemicerebrectomized cat

    Science

    (1962)
  • I.A. Boyd

    The histological structure of the receptors in the knee-joint of the cat correlated with their physiological response

    J. Physiol. London

    (1954)
  • I.A. Boyd et al.

    Proprioceptive discharges from stretch-receptors in the knee-joint of the cat

    J. Physiol. London

    (1953)
  • V.B. Brooks et al.

    Excitability of neurons in sigmoid gyri

    Physiologist

    (1964)
  • A.G. Brown et al.

    Hair follicle receptors with myelinated afferent nerve fibres

    J. Physiol. London

    (1964)
  • P. Buser et al.

    Sensory projections to the motor cortex in cats: a microelectrode study

  • G.G. Celesia

    Segmental organization of cortical afferent areas in the cat

    J. Neurophysiol.

    (1963)
  • W.W. Chambers et al.

    Cortico-spinal tract of the cat. An attempt to correlate the pattern of degeneration with deficits in reflex activity following neocortical lesions

    J. Comp. Neurol.

    (1957)
  • P.W. Davies

    Chamber for microelectrode studies in the cerebral cortex

    Science

    (1956)
  • I.T. Diamond et al.

    Tactual localization in cats deprived of cortical areas SI and S II and the dorsal columns

    Psychonomic Sci.

    (1964)
  • G. Eklund et al.

    On the specificity of the Ruffini like joint receptors

    Acta Physiol. Scand.

    (1960)
  • E. Gardner et al.

    Projection of afferent fibers from muscles and joints to cerebral cortex of cat

    Am. J. Physiol.

    (1952)
  • J.A.B. Gray et al.

    Response of Pacinian corpuscles in the cat's toe

    J. Physiol. London

    (1951)
  • M. Gurewitsch et al.

    Zur Cytoarchitektonik der Grosshirnrinde der Feliden

    Z. Ges. Anat.

    (1928)
  • R. Hassler et al.

    Architektonischer Aufbau des sensomotorischen und parietalen Cortex der Katze

    J. F. Hirnforschung

    (1964)
  • C.C. Hunt

    On the nature of vibration receptors in the hindlimb of cat

    J. Physiol. London

    (1961)
  • C.C. Hunt et al.

    Characteristics of responses from receptors from the flexor longus digitorum muscle and the adjoining interosseous region of the cat

    J. Physiol. London

    (1960)
  • Cited by (0)

    2

    The present address of Dr. Janice Levitt is Department of Physiology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140.

    1

    This work was supported by USPHS Training Grants NB-5273, 5T 1 GM-281, and USPHS NB 05234.

    View full text