Changes in the ultrastructure of the cerebral cortex in rats during learning and in disorders of higher nervous activity]

The results are outlined of a complex study of the ultrastructure of the rat cerebral cortex after learning and higher nervous activity disturbance. In the case of learning with preliminary stimulation with al-amphetamine or without it, the subcortical processes in the motor and auditory analysers of the cerebral cortex are characterized by sharp structural-functional activation of the apparatus of energy supply, of protein synthesis and of the synaptic zones. The length of the synaptic active zones increases, and extensive development of spine apparatuses is recorded in the postsynaptic area in the form of intricate membrane complexes. Quite the contrary, in cases of higher nervous activity disturbances, destruction of the organelles and desintegration of spine apparatuses is clearly pronounced. The question of the role of the latter in the memory processes is discussed.     

Changes in the activity of different classes of enzymes in the cerebral cortex of rats in ontogeny and after the transplantation of embryonic nerve tissue

The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), indophenol oxidase, aspartate aminotransferase (AsAT), alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and aldolase at different stages of rat development was measured. We have also determined changes in the activity of these enzymes resulting from transplantation of embryonic nerve tissue (ENT) into the brain of adult animals. During development from the embryo to the adult animal, LDH and AsAT activities increased, while alkaline phosphatase activity diminished. After ENT transplantation, the most prominent changes were in the alkaline phosphatase activity whereas the activity of LDH, AsAT and acid phosphatase remained unchanged and similar to that in the brain cortex of intact adult animals. Changes in the enzyme activity resulting from ENT transplantation changed in a manner characteristic of the transplant. Local brain damage did not change the activity of the studied enzymes fifty days after surgery.     

Changes in pain sensitivity after the ablation of the somatosensory areas of the cerebral cortex in cats

The effects of ablation of the first and second somatosensory cortex on pain sensitivity were studied in the behavioural experiments on adult cats. The ablation of the first somatosensory cortex (SI) was shown to cause an increase of the response thresholds at all the levels of a conventional scale, while the destruction of the second somatosensory cortex (S2) decreased the response thresholds. The role of SI and S2 in the evaluation of nociceptive information is discussed.     

Retrograde degeneration of the neurons of the cerebellar nuclei after partial removal of the associative cerebral cortex

Retrograde degeneration of the cerebellar nuclei cells has been studied after partial ablation of the associative parietal cerebral cortex in the cat. The material is stained after Nissl. Retrogradely degenerated and normal cells are counted. The "ghost-cells" in the cerebellar nuclei indicate that a direct axonal connection exists between some neurons and the cerebral cortex operated, while the cells that are at other stages of degeneration are, perhaps, connected with this part of the cortex by means of axonal collaterals.     

胃扩张刺激对大鼠大脑皮层及海马CCK mRNA表达的影响

胆囊收缩素（ｃｈｏｌｅｃｙｓｔｏｋｉｎｉｎ,ＣＣＫ）是脑肠肽中的一种,被认为是饱因子。本实验采用以地高辛标记的ＣＣＫ ｃＤＮＡ为探针的原位杂交和半定量ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ技术。用水囊扩张胃作为对胃壁的机械刺激模拟食物对胃的充盈作用,观察大鼠大脑皮层和海马内含ＣＣＫ神经元ＣＣＫ ｍＲＮＡ表达的变化情况。     

Changes in oxygen tension in the cerebral cortex during hemodilution

Wistar rats were subjected to gradual blood replacement with 7% albumin (hemodilution). Hematocrit and mean arterial pressure were measured periodically. Polarographic platinum microelectrodes with a tip 3-8 microns in diameter were used to study variation of oxygen tension (pO2) in the brain cortex during hemodilution. Some areas showed a significant decrease in the brain pO2 after hematocrit dropped to 30%. In animals with an initially low pO2 (13.1 +/- 1.7 mm Hg), this parameter decreased more slowly than in rats with a higher basic pO2 (24.5 +/- 1.7 mm Hg).     

Causal interactions between the cerebral cortex and the autonomic nervous system

Mental states such as stress and anxiety can cause heart disease.On the other hand,meditation can improve cardiac performance.In this study,the heart rate variability,directed transfer function and corrected conditional entropy were used to investigate the effects of mental tasks on cardiac performance,and the functional coupling between the cerebral cortex and the heart.When subjects tried to decrease their heart rate by volition,the sympathetic nervous system was inhibited and the heart rate decreased.When subjects tried to increase their heart rate by volition,the parasympathetic nervous system was inhibited and the sympathetic nervous system was stimulated,and the heart rate increased.When autonomic nervous system activity was regulated by mental tasks,the information flow from the post-central areas to the pre-central areas of the cerebral cortex increased,and there was greater coupling between the brain and the heart.Use of directed transfer function and corrected conditional entropy techniques enabled analysis of electroencephalographic recordings,and of the information flow causing functional coupling between the brain and the heart.     

Disruption of food-getting movements after removal of the motor or premotor zone of the cerebral cortex in cats]

Instrumental food-procuring movements were studied in cats before and after unilateral or bilateral ablation of the motor or premotor cortical area. It is shown that unilateral impairment of the motor area affects the strength and accuracy of movements of the contralateral fore-leg, whereas the ablation of the premotor area leads to a slowing down of movements and breaking of a goal-directed movement into separate components. Bilataral ablation of the motor area irreversibly abolished the instrumental reflex. The ablation of the premotor cortex destroyed the animal's reaction to the sound signal, but food-procuring movements of the fore-legs were disturbed only temporarily. The obtained data are discussed on the basis of the concept that in cats the above cortical areas play different roles in the organization of goal directed behaviour.     

Changes in the cerebral cortex in the progeny of DOCA-dependent females]

Methods of light microscopy and morphometrical analysis were used for studying semithin sections of the antero-parietal portions of the cortex of neonatal rats from mothers treated by desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) during the last 7 (II group) of last 14 days (III group) of gestation. Animals of the III group were given greater doses of DOCA. Experimental neonatal rats had greater absolute and relative masses of the cerebrum and the thicker cortex: in the II group at the expense of enlargement of neurons, greater amount of glioblasts and the volume of neuropile; in the III group--at the expense of still greater neuron sizes, enlargement of glioblasts and their greater number, as well as the growth of the neuropile volume. In the neocortex of the II group of animals processes of proliferation of glioblasts were more pronounced, greater doses and amount of actions of DOCA (III group) being followed by processes of reinforced differentiation of nerve and glial cells. Experimental animals were found to have greater amount of microgliocytes, hypertrophy of endotheliocyte and pericyte nuclei. Symptoms of blood stagnation and perivascular edema were very rarely noted in neonatal rats of the III group.     

Somatosensory evoked potentials after removal of somatosensory cortex in man

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to median nerve, ulnar nerve, thumb, middle finger, and posterior tibial nerve stimulation were recorded in a patient with a discrete resection of part of the postcentral somatosensory cortex as a treatment for focal epilepsy. Comparison of the different stimulation sites confirmed electrophysiologically the restricted locus of the lesion. The results strongly suggest that the early negative component (N20) and subsequent components recorded postcentrally are of cortical origin and depend upon postcentral gyrus cytoarchitectonic areas 3, 2, and 1. Moreover, these postcentral SEPs are distinct from precentrally recorded activity.