Conditioned reflex changes in the intra-analyzer interaction of the afferent inputs from the lateral geniculate body and pulvinar thalami in the cerebral cortex of cats

Paired heterogeneous stimulation of the lateral geniculate body (LGB) and pulvinar (Pulv) as a conditioned stimulus of alimentary instrumental conditioned reflex (CR), resulted in a change of relations between afferent inputs from LGB and Pulv to the visual and associative cortex of cats. At stimulation of LGB preceding by 40 ms, facilitation of the response to testing Pulv stimulation observed in untrained cats, appeared only at the beginning of the learning and was suppressed by the end of elaboration, when the amplitude of the response to the conditioning LGB stimulation greatly increased. In the process of CR elaboration (in the middle of learning), Pulv stimulation preceding by 40 ms facilitated the response to the testing LGB stimulation and simultaneously increased the amplitude of the response to the conditioning Pulv stimulation.     

Changes in the evoked potentials in the visual and association cortex of the alert cat after changing the order of stimulation of the lateral geniculate body and superior colliculi

In chronic experiments on alert cats the preceding stimulation of the lateral geniculate body (LGB) facilitates the response in the visual cortex to testing stimulation of the anterior colliculi (AC) at all studied delays between stimuli in contrast to the associative cortex where this response has been depressed in intervals of 10-40 ms. In reverse order of stimulation, facilitation of response to testing LGB stimulation is observed at all studied delays in the associative cortex, while in the visual cortex this response is slightly depressed. The obtained data point to the importance of the information coming in the accessory zones of LGB and AC projections and to different informational value of AC inputs to the associative and visual cortices and reciprocal relations between inputs to these cortical areas from LGB and AC.     

Interaction of recovery cycles of evoked potentials in the cerebral cortex of the cat in response to stimulation of the superior colliculi and pulvinar

Similar character of recovery cycles of evoked potentials in the visual cortex to electric stimulation of the superior colliculi (SC) and pulvinar was found in chronic experiments on alert cats irrespective of stimuli presentation order. In the association cortex preceding SC stimulation facilitated the response to test stimulation of pulvinar almost at all delays between the stimuli. If the pulvinar stimulation was applied as a conditioned stimulus, then the response to SC stimulation under intervals of 20-200 ms was depressed. The obtained data point to equivalence of the inputs from SC and pulvinar to the visual cortex, to different informational value of inputs from SC to the association and visual cortex, and to mutual function dependence of the inputs from SC and pulvinar to the association cortex.     

Effect of electric stimulation of non-specific and specific thalamic nuclei on the spatial synchronization of cortical potentials in the rabbit

The effect of low-frequency (1-10 Hz) electrical stimulation of nonspecific n. centralis lateralis and n. centrum medianum and specific thalamic (LGB) nuclei on spatial synchronization of biopotentials of neocortical areas and on the process of learning was studied on rabbits. Electrical stimulation of the non-specific nuclei raised the level of correlation of the cortical potentials, while the LGB stimulation, on the contrary, weakened the spatial synchronization between the potentials of the visual and sensorimotor neocortical areas. On the basis of the obtained data a conclusion is made that stimulation of the non-specific thalamus contributes to a more successful formation of defensive conditioned reflex to light unlike LGB stimulation. It is suggested that a certain specificity of the studied subcortical formations in organization of spatial synchronization of the brain biopotentials and in the process of learning is due to morpho-functional peculiarities of these structures.     

Effect of deafferentation of the lateral geniculate body on its background activity

Elimination of reticular inputs to the lateral geniculate body (LGB) by sectioning of one half of the midbrain operculum, did not affect significantly the characteristics of the LGB evoked potential to light stimulus. At the same time LGB response to stimulation of the reticular formation by a single current impulse, though did not disappear completely, but changed greatly: its latency became twice as long, the negative component of the response was no more recorded. In conditions of LGB deafferentation, the characteristics of all rhythms of its electrical activity, besides the alpha-like one, considerably changed. At the same time, exactly this last rhythm underwent the greatest changes on the EEG of the visual cortex. On the basis of the obtained data it is suggested that the reticular formation takes a considerable and multiple part in generation of LGB rhythmic activity and that changes in its characteristics are clearly reflected in the ECoG rhythms formation. Retention of the LGB visual evoked potential and of the response to stimulation of the reticular formation after the section of one half of the midbrain operculum testifies to the presence of several reticular inputs to LGB.     

Intra-analyzer temporary connections in the visual system]

The possibility of setting up intraanalyser temporary connections integrating the activity of various elements within the central part of the visual analyser at a neuronal level was studied in acute experiments on unanaesthetized immobilized cats. In the given model of temporary connection the unit activity in the lateral geniculate bodies (LGB) was investigated. Electrical stimulation of the superior colliculi was used as a conditioned stimulus, and illumination of the receptive fields of the studied LGB neurones, as an unconditioned one. In the process of conditioning, 10 to 11% of learning elements were revealed in LGB. The possibility is discussed of integration of learning elements into a definite microsystem achieving the process of temporary connection closing in the visual analyser in the course of conditioning.     

Unit responses of the sensomotor cortex to paired electrical stimuli

Unit responses of the sensomotor cortex to paired electrical stimulation and visual cortex, applied either simultaneously or after various delays (from 0 to 200 msec) depend on the order of application of the stimuli and on the interval between them. If stimulation of the sensomotor cortex was used in a conditioning role the response continued unchanged when the intervals between stimuli were increased to 200 msec. If, however, stimulation of the sensomotor cortex had a testing role interaction was observed between the stimuli so that responses to both first and second stimuli were blocked; this was exhibited most clearly for intervals of 40–80 msec between stimuli. The blocking effect persisted on some neurons with delays of up to 200 msec between stimuli, while the response of others to both the first and the second stimulus was restored.Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 5, No. 6, pp. 628–635, November–December, 1973.     

The functional logic of cortico-pulvinar connections

The pulvinar is an 'associative' thalamic nucleus, meaning that most of its input and output relationships are formed with the cerebral cortex. The function of this circuitry is little understood and its anatomy, though much investigated, is notably recondite. This is because pulvinar connection patterns disrespect the architectural subunits (anterior, medial, lateral and inferior pulvinar nuclei) that have been the traditional reference system. This article presents a simplified, global model of the organization of cortico-pulvinar connections so as to pursue their structure-function relationships. Connections between the cortex and pulvinar are topographically organized, and as a result the pulvinar contains a 'map' of the cortical sheet. However, the topography is very blurred. Hence the pulvinar connection zones of nearby cortical areas overlap, allowing indirect transcortical communication via the pulvinar. A general observation is that indirect cortico-pulvino-cortical circuits tend to mimic direct cortico-cortical pathways: this is termed 'the replication principle'. It is equally apt for certain pairs (or groups) of nearby cortical areas that happen not to connect with each other. The 'replication' of this non-connection is achieved by discontinuities and dislocations of the cortical topography within the pulvinar, such that the associated pair of connection zones do not overlap. Certain of these deformations can be used to divide the global cortical topography into specific sub-domains, which form the natural units of a connectional subdivision of the pulvinar. A substantial part of the pulvinar also expresses visual topography, reflecting visual maps in occipital cortex. There are just two well-ordered visual maps in the pulvinar, that both receive projections from area V1, and several other occipital areas; the resulting duplication of cortical topography means that each visual map also acts as a separate connection domain. In summary, the model identifies four topographically ordered connection domains, and reconciles the coexistence of visual and cortical maps in two of them. The replication principle operates at and below the level of domain structure. It is argued that cortico-pulvinar circuitry replicates the pattern of cortical circuitry but not its function, playing a more regulatory role instead. Thalamic neurons differ from cortical neurons in their inherent rhythmicity, and the pattern of cortico-thalamic connections must govern the formation of specific resonant circuits. The broad implication is that the pulvinar acts to coordinate cortical information processing by facilitating and sustaining the formation of synchronized trans-areal assemblies; a more pointed suggestion is that, owing to the considerable blurring of cortical topography in the pulvinar, rival cortical assemblies may be in competition to recruit thalamic elements in order to outlast each other in activity.     

Conditioning of inhibition of sympathetic nerve discharge to stimulation of A- and C-fibres in the aortic nerve

Stimulation of either A- or C-fibres in the aortic nerve inhibits sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) recorded from the renal nerve in rabbits anaesthetized with urethane. When the test inhibition of SND to stimulation of A-fibres is preceded by conditioning stimulation of the same afferents, the test response is depressed at shorter and facilitated at longer testing intervals. Facilitation of the inhibition of SND reaches 120% of control at a testing interval of 10 s. The recovery curve of inhibition of SND to activation of A-fibres has a time course of 17 s. Following conditioning activation only depression of the test inhibition of SND to stimulation of C-fibres is seen. It reaches 46% of control at an interval of 2 s and the recovery curve of inhibition of SND to stimulation of C-fibres has a time course of about 30 s. In other series of experiments the duration of the conditioning stimulation was varied while the testing intervals were fixed. At a testing interval of 2 s the reductions of the test responses are deeper and the durations of conditioning at which plateaus of depression are reached are longer with stimulation of C- than of A-fibres. Taken together with a longer recovery curve these findings suggest a more effective control of the test inhibition of SND by C-fibres. Opposite changes in the patterns of inhibition of SND to activation of either A- or C-fibres are explained by frequency-dependent post-tetanic effects of the conditioning stimulation.     

Evoked potentials in the visual and association cortex of alert cats during paired uniform stimulation of the lateral geniculate body and pulvinar

Recovery curves of evoked potentials in the association and visual cortex during paired stimulation of the pulvinar in chronic experiments on alert cats were shown to be similar in character. Depression of the test response was observed only if the interval between stimuli was of the order of 10 msec, but if it was 40 msec considerable (2–4 times) facilitation of the second response was observed, mainly on account of an increase in the negative component N₁. Facilitation was less marked if the intervals were from 60 to 100 msec, and they decreased gradually to an interval of 200 msec. The recovery curve of cortical evoked potentials during paired stimulation of the lateral geniculate body differed considerably from the recovery curve during paired stimulation of the pulvinar and was characterized by a gradual increase in amplitude of the second response — from its almost total suppression with an interval of 10 msec to slight facilitation with an interval of 200 msec. If intervals of 10 to 80 msec were used, the test response was restored more slowly in the association cortex than in the visual cortex. The results are discussed from the standpoint of differences in the character of intracortical spread of excitation as a result of activation of geniculo-cortical and pulvinar-cortical pathways of conduction of information.Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 497–505, July–August, 1984.     

Task-dependent interaction between parietal and contralateral primary motor cortex during explicit versus implicit motor imagery

Both mental rotation (MR) and motor imagery (MI) involve an internalization of movement within motor and parietal cortex. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) techniques allow for a task-dependent investigation of the interhemispheric interaction between these areas. We used image-guided dual-coil TMS to investigate interactions between right inferior parietal lobe (rIPL) and left primary motor cortex (M1) in 11 healthy participants. They performed MI (right index-thumb pinching in time with a 1 Hz metronome) or hand MR tasks, while motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from right first dorsal interosseous. At rest, rIPL conditioning 6 ms prior to M1 stimulation facilitated MEPs in all participants, whereas this facilitation was abolished during MR. While rIPL conditioning 12 ms prior to M1 stimulation had no effect on MEPs at rest, it suppressed corticomotor excitability during MI. These results support the idea that rIPL forms part of a distinct inhibitory network that may prevent unwanted movement during imagery tasks.     

Cortico-subcortical interrelationships in the visual analyzer system at various stages of ontogenesis]

The influence of a corticofugal volley produced by single electrical stimulation of the visual projection cortical zone on the neuronal activity of LGB was studied in non-anaesthetized rabbits aged from three to thirty-five days. A coincidence was found between the time of appearance of nonspecific inhibitory corticofugal influences on the spontaneous activity of LGB neurons and the emergence of the first phasic-specific responses of the neurones of this level to a visual stimulus. It has been shown that the sensory flow at the LGB level can be controlled by non-specific inhibitory corticofugal influences at early periods of postnatal development. The appearance from the 15th day of life of specific responses to a corticofugal volley, including activation phases, leads to a greater complexity of the regulating Cortical influences on conduction of the afferent signal at the thalamic level. The data obtained are considered from the standpoint of integration of various levels of the visual analyser at different stages of ontogenesis.     

Direct corticospinal pathways contribute to neuromuscular control of perturbed stance.

The antigravity soleus muscle (Sol) is crucial for compensation of stance perturbation. A corticospinal contribution to the compensatory response of the Sol is under debate. The present study assessed spinal, corticospinal, and cortical excitability at the peaks of short- (SLR), medium- (MLR), and long-latency responses (LLR) after posterior translation of the feet. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and peripheral nerve stimulation were individually adjusted so that the peaks of either motor evoked potential (MEP) or H reflex coincided with peaks of SLR, MLR, and LLR, respectively. The influence of specific, presumably direct, corticospinal pathways was investigated by H-reflex conditioning. When TMS was triggered so that the MEP arrived in the Sol at the same time as the peaks of SLR and MLR, EMG remained unaffected. Enhanced EMG was observed when the MEP coincided with the LLR peak (P < 0.001). Similarly, conditioning of the H reflex by subthreshold TMS facilitated H reflexes only at LLR (P < 0.001). The earliest facilitation after perturbation occurred after 86 ms. The TMS-induced H-reflex facilitation at LLR suggests that increased cortical excitability contributes to the augmentation of the LLR peaks. This provides evidence that the LLR in the Sol muscle is at least partly transcortical, involving direct corticospinal pathways. Additionally, these results demonstrate that approximately 86 ms after perturbation, postural compensatory responses are cortically mediated.     

Interaction between influences of functionally different cortical areas on caudate neurons in cats

Unit activity in the caudate nucleus evoked by paired stimulation of the anterior sigmoid and middle suprasylvian gyri was studied in acute experiments on cats. Responses in most neurons to testing stimulation of the anterior sigmoid gyrus during the period of inhibition of spontaneous activity evoked by conditioning stimulation of the suprasylvian gyrus were preserved, but in isolated cases they were actually facilitated. Meanwhile conditioning stimulation of the anterior sigmoid gyrus in the period of inhibition depressed responses to testing stimulation of the suprasylvian gyrus. Similar results were obtained in experiments on animals with deep transcortical sections between the sensomotor and parietal regions, ruling out the possibility of interaction between the stimulated zones at the cortical level.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 142–148, March–April, 1981.     

Cortical control of the afferent flow in the cat lateral geniculate body

Single unit responses in the dorsal lateral geniculate body to stimulation of the optic chiasma (testing) and area 17 (conditioning) of the visual cortex were studied in unanesthetized cats immobilized with tubocurarine. Two types of unit responses were found: P-responses (considered to be of relay, or principal, cells) and I-responses (considered to be of interneurons), whose parameters differed distinctly. Interaction between stimulation of the visual cortex and optic chiasma consisted of depression of the ability of the P cells of the nucleus to respond to testing stimulation. It is suggested that cortical influences on stimulus conduction by P cells of the nucleus is based on postsynaptic inhibition with the participation of interneurons.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 563–570, November–December, 1981.     

Influence of the motor cortex on lateral geniculate responses evoked in the cat by contralateral superior colliculus stimulation

It is shown that in nembutal anesthetized cats, a single stimulation of motor cortex (MC) causes a response in lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). The development of this response had a conditioning effect on the LGN response evoked by stimulation of the contralateral superior colliculus (SC), markedly inhibiting it. The degree of this inhibition depended on the time interval between the cortical conditioning stimulation and the tectal test stimulation. A single conditioning MC stimulation did not noticeably change the LGN responses evoked by a light stimulus, but markedly inhibited visual responses from deep SC layers (those regions which on stimulation gave rise to LGN responses). From the results, it is suggested that the MC monitors the execution of tectal influences on LGN function at the tectal level rather than the geniculate level, and it is precisely by this means that it regulates saccadic suppression of LGN function, in the realization of which, as presumed earlier, the SC takes part.A. I. Karaev Institute of Physiology, Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, Baku. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 24, No. 4, July–August 1992.     

Limited plasticity of the rabbit visual cortex and hippocampal neurons in the oddball test

The activity of 41 visual cortex and 20 hippocampal neurons from field CA1 was registered in experiments using oddball-stimulation with different color stimuli varied in intensity. 34% cortical and 37% hippocampal neurons demonstrated plasticity reactions. The significant increase of latest phases of neuronal activity (200-500 and 200-1000 ms after stimulation for cortical neurons and 300-550 ms for hippocampal neurons) was shown in responses to rare deviant stimuli, which had a less intensity than frequently standards. The quantity of the earliest neuronal phase of activity (40-120 ms after stimulation) was stabilized in responses to deviants and standards during the experiment. We propose that such increase of the latest phases of neuronal activity (the limited plasticity) may reflect the mechanisms of orienting reaction.     

盆神经和阴部神经传入在大鼠腰骶髓的相互作用

应用条件－检验刺激技术观察时间依赖性抑制现象是研究传入信息相互作用的方式之一。用１．５－３倍阈刺激强度的电脉冲交替刺激麻醉、麻痹的盆神经（Ｐｅ）和阴部神经（Ｐｕ）,以玻璃微电极在Ｌ６－Ｓ１节段脊髓背角会聚神经元上记录细胞外放电。条件输入可对深层（＞３００μｍ）单位的检验反应产生时间依赖性抑制效应,产生抑制的刺激间期为１－３６０ｍｓ,Ｐｅ为条件刺激时较长。浅层细胞（＜３００μｍ）发生抑制的间期为１－     

Conditioning and sensitization in the edible snail: the neurophysiological and metabolic characteristics]

Electrophysiological parameters and bound calcium (Ca(b)) level dynamics during sensitization development or conditioning of food aversion were studied in the command neurons of defense behaviour in the snail Helix lucorum. Responses evoked by a testing sensory stimulus were facilitated 50-60 min after the first sensitizing stimulation, while conditioned responses appeared 80-90 min after the first conditioning. It was the most essential electrophysiological difference between the long-term sensitization and conditioning. Analysis of the Ca(b)) dynamics in the neurons showed significant differences in calcium-dependent metabolism during the sensitization and conditioning, likely underlying the electrophysiological differences.