PMID: 3760926Aug 1, 1986Paper

Response characteristics of neurons in the ventral posterior lateral nucleus of the monkey thalamus

Journal of Neurophysiology
J M ChungW D Willis

Abstract

The activity of 132 neurons in the caudal part of the ventral posterior lateral nucleus (VPLc) of the thalamus was recorded from 23 anesthetized monkeys. All single thalamic units that could be excited by electrical search stimuli applied to the contralateral sciatic nerve were investigated. Responses of these cells to mechanical, thermal, and electrical stimuli applied in the periphery indicated that at least half of the sampled cells were nociceptive. Based on responses to graded mechanical stimuli applied to the periphery, 110 of the sampled cells that received a predominant input from cutaneous receptive fields were classified. There were 56 low-threshold, 39 wide dynamic range, and 15 high-threshold cells. The same neurons were also classified into five mechanical types based on a cluster analysis: types 1-5 contained 25, 34, 17, 10, and 24 cells, respectively. The fact that about half the population of cells belonged to either the wide dynamic or the high threshold group (or mechanical types 3-5) suggested that a large population of VPLc neurons respond to mechanical nociceptive stimuli either exclusively or preferentially. Responses of 63 thalamic neurons were tested to noxious heat pulses applied to their cutaneous rece...Continue Reading

Citations

Mar 18, 1996·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·A C SilvaJ T Wall
Oct 17, 1998·Journal of Neurophysiology·F A LenzR P Lesser
May 10, 2008·The Journal of Physiology·N S WeerakkodyS C Gandevia
Sep 12, 2013·Pain·Luis Garcia-Larrea, Roland Peyron
Jan 1, 1997·Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society·W D Willis, K N Westlund
May 19, 2012·American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology·D KeszthelyiA A Masclee
May 12, 2018·Cerebral Cortex·Anahid H SaradjianLaurence Mouchnino
Jan 11, 2001·Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society·S E HuaF A Lenz
Oct 15, 1989·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·A V Apkarian, C J Hodge

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