Cooling-specific spinothalamic neurons in the monkey
Abstract
1. Little is known concerning the processing of innocuous thermoreceptive information in the CNS of the monkey. The aim of the present study was to confirm the prediction, based on recent studies in cat and monkey, that there must be a prominent spinothalamic (STT) projection of cooling-specific spinal cord lamina I neurons to the posterior part of the ventral medial nucleus (VMpo) of the monkey thalamus. 2. Experiments were performed on four cynomolgus monkeys anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium. A detailed mapping of somatosensory thalamus was performed in each animal, and VMpo was identified by recordings from clusters of thermoreceptive-specific and nociceptive-specific (NS) neurons. Stimulating electrodes were then implanted in VMpo. Tungsten microelectrodes were used to record the responses of neurons in the superficial dorsal horn of the lumbosacral spinal cord. 3. Many spontaneously active lamina I neurons were found that were inhibited by radiant warming and that responded to innocuous cooling of the hindpaw. These cooling-specific (COLD) neurons were excited by small temperature drops below skin temperature and increased their discharge with decreasing skin temperature. They were not excited by thermally neutral me...Continue Reading
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