Common interneurones in reflex pathways from group 1a and 1b afferents of knee flexors and extensors in the cat (original) (raw)

Inhibitory interactions between interneurones in reflex pathways from group Ia and group Ib afferents in the cat

The Journal of physiology, 1983

A hypothesis has been verified that laminae V-VI interneurones which mediate non-reciprocal inhibition of motoneurones from group I muscle afferents have collateral actions on other laminae V-VI interneurones. Stimulation within the areas of projection of these inhibitory interneurones in motor nuclei and in Clarke's column would be expected to give rise to monosynaptic i.p.s.p.s in interneurones with disynaptic i.p.s.p.s from group I afferents if the hypothesis were correct. Intracellular records were made from eighty-five laminae V-VI interneurones with input from group Ia muscle spindle and/or group Ib tendon organ afferents. Weak intraspinal stimuli applied in motor nuclei in L7 and S1 segments, or in the lateral funiculus just caudal to Clarke's column in L4, were found to evoke monosynaptic i.p.s.p.s in seventy-two interneurones. These i.p.s.p.s were systematically correlated with disynaptic inhibition from group Ia or Ib afferents but not from other fibres. Such monos...

Shared reflex pathways of group I afferents of different cat hind-limb muscles

The Journal of physiology, 1983

The convergence of group I muscle afferents of different muscle origin onto interneurones in spinal reflex pathways has been investigated using the technique of spatial facilitation of the transmission from afferents to motoneurones. The investigated pathways are those of non-reciprocal inhibition and of oligosynaptic excitation of motoneurones. Extensive convergence has been found of group I afferents from muscles operating at the same and different joints onto the interneurones interposed in both excitatory and inhibitory, disynaptic and trisynaptic pathways to motoneurones. Convergence has been found between muscle spindle Ia and/or tendon organ Ib afferents from different muscles, thereby extending observations on convergence of these subgroups of group I afferents from the same muscles. The results show that group I afferents of different muscles influence motoneurones via shared neuronal pathways and that transmission from these afferents is influenced by afferents originating...

Functional subdivision of feline spinal interneurons in reflex pathways from group Ib and II muscle afferents; an update

European Journal of Neuroscience, 2010

A first step towards understanding the operation of a neural network is identification of the populations of neurons that contribute to it. Our aim here is to reassess the basis for subdivision of adult mammalian spinal interneurons that mediate reflex actions from tendon organs (group Ib afferents) and muscle spindle secondary endings (group II afferents) into separate populations. Reexamining the existing experimental data, we find no compelling reasons to consider intermediate zone interneurons with input from group Ib afferents to be distinct from those co-excited by group II afferents. Similar patterns of distributed input have been found in subpopulations that project ipsilaterally, contralaterally or bilaterally, and in both excitatory and inhibitory interneurons; differences in input from group I and II afferents to individual interneurons showed intra-rather than inter-population variation. Patterns of reflex actions evoked from group Ib and II afferents and task-dependent changes in these actions, e.g. during locomotion, may likewise be compatible with mediation by premotor interneurons integrating information from both group I and II afferents. Pathological changes after injuries of the central nervous system in humans and the lineage of different subclasses of embryonic interneurons may therefore be analyzed without need to consider subdivision of adult intermediate zone interneurons into subpopulations with group Ib or group II input. We propose renaming these neurons 'group I ⁄ II interneurons'.

Nociceptive input to spinal interneurones in reflex pathways from group II muscle afferents in cats

Neuroscience Research, 2000

Effects of noxious stimulation of the skin by radiant heat were tested on responses of first order interneurones in reflex pathways from group II muscle afferents in mid-lumbar, lower-lumbar and sacral segments of the spinal cord. In mid-and lower-lumbar segments both background discharges and monosynaptically evoked responses of intermediate zone interneurones were facilitated. Those of mid-lumbar dorsal horn interneurones were also facilitated suggesting that both these interneuronal populations contribute to the facilitation of flexion reflexes by nociceptors. In contrast, the dominating effects of noxious heat on sacral dorsal horn group II interneurones were inhibitory. The effects evoked by selective activation of C fibres, after A-delta fibres had been blocked by TTX, were similar to those obtained before TTX application.

Reflex pathways from group II muscle afferents

Experimental Brain Research, 1987

The interneuronally mediated reflex actions evoked by electrical stimulation of group II muscle afferents in low spinal cats have been reinvestigated with intracellular recording from motoneurones to knee flexors and ankle extensors. The results of have been confirmed and extended. There was wide convergence from flexors and extensors of group II excitation to flexor and group II inhibition to extensor motoneurones. Some quantitative differences in the effect from the different nerves are described. Latency measurements suggest that the minimal linkage is disynaptic in the excitatory interneuronal pathways and trisynaptic in the inhibitory pathways. Disynaptic group II EPSPs were found in 14% of the ankle extensor motoneurones but were much more common in unanaesthetized high spinal cats . From these results and corresponding ones on flexors (Holmqvist and Lundberg 1961) it is postulated that secondary afferents in addition to the weak monosynaptic connexions (Kirkwood and Sears 1975) have disynaptic excitatory pathways and trisynaptic inhibitory pathways to both flexor and extensor motoneurones. It is proposed that the group II actions of the flexor reflex pattern characterizing the anaesthetized low spinal cat are due to suppression of the inhibitory pathway to flexor motoneurones and the excitatory pathway to extensor motoneurones. In some ankle extensor motoneurones the disynaptic group II EPSPs occurred in combination with IPSPs from the FRA (including group II and III muscle afferents). The possibility is considered that these group II EPSPs are mediated by an interneuronal group II pathway with little or no input from group III muscle afferents but probably from extramuscular receptors. In other ankle extensor motoneurones group II EPSPs were combined with EPSPs from group III muscle afferents, cutaneous afferents and joint afferents. It is postulated that these group II EPSPs are mediated by an interneuronal pathway from the FRA which also supply interneuronal pathways giving inhibition to extensor or/and flexor motoneurones and excitation to flexors as postulated by and .

Functional identification of last-order interneurones of skin reflex pathways in the cat forelimb segments

Brain Research, 1989

Premotor neurones mediating skin reflex actions onto cat forelimb motoneurones at T~ were identified by observing their monosynaptic effects on motoneurones by means of spike-triggered averaging. Both excitatory and inhibitory premotor neurones, with mono-or polysynaptic inputs from skin afferents, were identified at C7 to rostrai Ca, and were found mostly in laminae V-VI. They received excitatory inputs from corticospinal and rubrospinal tract fibres.

The rubrospinal tract. II. Facilitation of interneuronal transmission in reflex paths to motoneurones

Experimental Brain Research, 1969

1. The effect of stimulation of the red nucleus on transmission of synaptie actions from different systems of primary afferents to alpha motoneurones has been invest/gated in cats, mainly with intracellular recording from motoneurones. 2. The dominating effect is facilitation, presumably caused by excitatory action exerted from the rubrospinal tract on interneurones of reflex arcs. The time course of facilitation suggests that the minimal linkage from the rubrospinal tract to these interneurones is monosynaptic. 3. Interneuronal transmission in reflex pathways from the following afferent systems is facilitated : a) Ia inhibitory between flexors and extensors, l~ubrospina] facilitation did not reveal Ia inhibitory pathways between adductors and abductors at the hip. b) Ib excitatory and inhibitory. There is marked facilitation of the reciprocal effects evoked by Ib afferents from extensors but also of other Ib pathways, for example inhibitory from extensors to flexor nuclei and from flexors to extensor nuclei and excitatory from flexors to extensor nuclei, e) Low threshold joint, inhibitory and excitatory, presumably from afferents with Ruffini endings. d) Low threshold cutaneous, excitatory and inhibitory. Since transmission from these afferents could be facilitated under conditions when there was no effect on transmission from high threshold muscle afferents it is postulated that the effect is exerted on pathways which are not part of the common pathways from the flexor reflex afferents, e) Flexor reflex afferents, excitatory and inhibitory. Facilitation of these pathways is not found regularly, in some eases there was no effect and in others inhibition. 4. The effeets are discussed in relation to the complex effects evoked from the rnbrospinal tract in motoneurones and to supraspinal regulation of proprioceptive reflexes. 5. It is postulated that in complex movements alternative Ib patterns may be mobilized, whereas flexion-extension movements are subserved by the Ib pattern found in the spinal eat. 6. Facilitation of the Ia inhibitory pathway is taken to indicate "a-y-linkage" in reciprocal inhibition. It is pointed out that convergence from Ia and descending impulses on a common inhibitory interneurone may play an important role in the regulation of a-y-linked flexion-extension movements.

Shared reflex pathways from Ib tendon organ afferents and Ia muscle spindle afferents in the cat

The Journal of Physiology, 1983

The possibility was investigated that group Ia muscle spindle afferents and group Ib tendon organ afferents influence spinal motoneurones via shared neuronal pathways. Mutual facilitation of actions of these afferents at a premotoneuronal level has been taken as evidence that they use the same interneurones to evoke post-synaptic potentials (p.s.p.s) in motoneurones. 2. Inhibitory p.s.p.s (i.p.s.p.s) or excitatory p.s.p.s (e.p.s.p.s) were evoked in motoneurones by selective activation of group Ia afferents or group Ib afferents. P.s.p.s following stimulation of both Ia and Ib afferents were then compared with the arithmetic sum of p.s.p.s evoked by each of them separately. When the former were larger the difference was used as a measure of synaptic actions mediated by interneurones co-excited by I a and I b afferents. 3. Both excitatory and inhibitory pathways to motoneurones have been found to be shared by Ia and I b afferents, although the proportion of interneurones actually used in common by these afferents could not be established. The latencies of post-synaptic actions mediated by such interneurones indicated that they were evoked disynaptically or trisynaptically. 4. The study leads to two main conclusions: that group I a muscle spindle afferents, and in consequence also fusimotor systems, may modulate the reflex action of tendon organs, and that the two groups of afferents are a source of information in a common feedback system.

Anatomical and physiological study of interneurons in an oligosynaptic cutaneous reflex pathway in the cat hindlimb

Brain Research, 1992

Morphological and physiological studies were undertaken in the cat lumbosacral spinal cord in order to examine individual last-order excitatory interneurons in the disynaptic pathway between low threshold superficial peroneal (SP) afferents and flexor digitorum Iongus (FDL) motoneurons, Last-order interneurons projecting to the FDL motor nucleus were visualized with activity-dependent trans-synaptic transport of lectin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). The location of lumbar interneurons that responded at short latencies (< 3 ms) to electrical stimulation of the SP nerve was further defined using extracellular recording. The projection of individual interneurons to motoneurons in the L, segment was defined by spike-triggered averaging of population ventral root potentials (VRPs) using the sucrose gap technique. Measurements of the central latencies from the arrival of the SP afferent volley to interneuron firing, and from interneuron spike to the onset of the VRP EPSPs, confirm the existence of a low threshold, disynaptic SP pathway that excited motoneurons. These data provide useful latency constraints for the interpretation of the synaptic length of cutaneous reflex pathways in the cat hindlimb.