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F Baldissera

Publications and source records attributed to F Baldissera.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Effects from the vestibulospinal tract on transmission from primary afferents to ventral spino-cerebellar tract neurones.

Convergence of vestibulospinal and segmental effects onto spinal interneurones which project to the ventral spino-cerebellar tract (VSCT) neurones has been studied by intracellular recording in VSCT cells. The disynaptic Ia IPSPs evoked in a group of VSCT neurones from the quadriceps nerve are monosynaptically facilitated by the vestibulospinal tract while there was no facilitation of Ia IPSP evoked from a flexor nerve. These results support the view that Ia inhibition to VSCT cells and motoneurones is mediated by common interneurones. The disynaptic inhibition evoked in other VSCT cells from the vestibulospinal tract is facilitated by volleys in the contralateral flexor reflex afferents (FRA) or bilaterally from the FRA. It is postulated that these actions are mediated by collaterals of the interneurones responsible for the analogous effects in motoneurones. Findings are reported suggesting that the monosynaptic vestibulospinal EPSP in VSCT cells in most cases is collateral to the excitatory input to the last order interneurones of reflex pathways from the FRA to motoneurones and only exceptionally to the corresponding input to Ia inhibitory interneurones. In many VSCT cells the vestibulospinal tract evoked disynaptic EPSPs which are facilitated from the FRA; the functional significance of this action is uncertain. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that VSCT neurones signal information on interneuronal transmission to motoneurones.

Afferent Pathways↗

Rubrospinal effects on ventral spinocerebellar tract neurones.

Stimulation of the contralateral red nucleus evoked monosynaptic EPSPs in 14 of 82 ventral spinocerebellar tract neurones. In some of these cells the monosynaptic EPSP was followed by a disynaptic IPSP. The remaining cell population received di- or polysynaptic PSPs from the rubrospinal tract, either EPSPs or IPSPs or both. Convergence of the rubrospinal tract onto interneurones of the segmental pathways projecting to VSCT cells was demonstrated. Rubrospinal volleys facilitated disynaptic Ia IPSPs evoked in VSCT neurones from both flexors and extensors, as well as disynaptic Ib IPSPs. Facilitation of the Ia interneurones was disynaptic whereas facilitation of Ib interneurones was monosynaptic. Disynaptic rubrospinal EPSPs and IPSPs were facilitated by volleys in ipsi- as well as in contralateral cutaneous and high threshold muscle afferents. The complex pattern of projections from the rubrospinal tract onto VSCT neurones and the related reflex pathways gives further support to the hypothesis that these tract cells convey information on transmission through interneurones of the spinal segmental mechanisms.

Afferent Pathways↗

Relationships between the spike components and the delayed depolarization in cat spinal neurones.

1. Changes in the delayed depolarization (DD) following composite (IS-SD) intracellular spikes in motoneurones and neurones of the ventral spinocerebellar tract were recorded in a variety of experimental conditions. Cell activation was either antidromic or by direct intracellular stimulation. 2. It was observed that under all conditions in which IS-SD coupling changes took place (as a consequence of spontaneous fluctuations, membrane conductance variations, variations of direct-stimulation parameters, changes in steady membrane polarization), SD spike delays were always accompanied by a progressive concomitant reduction of the DD depolarizing hump amplitude. 3. Under the same conditions the latency of the DD peak from the stimulus artifact remained constant. Accordingly, any increase of the SD delay was accompanied by a reciprocal reduction of the time interval between the SD spike and the DD peak. This variability of temporal relationships between SD spike and DD would appear to contradict the hypothesis that the DD might represent the image of the excitation spreading from the soma to the dendrites (Kernell, 1964; Nelson & Burke, 1967). 4. as the gradual reduction of the DD hump progressed, the time course of the decay phase of the afterhyperpotential more and more closely approximated the decay phase of the IS spike. As an alternative hypothesis it is suggested that the DD might originate from the current which generates the IS spike.

Animals↗

Effects on the ventral spinocerebellar tract neurones from Deiters' nucleus and the medial longitudinal fascicle in the cat.

Effects from the vestibulospinal tract (VST) and from fibres descending in the medial longitudinal fascicle (MLF) on the cells of origin of the ventral spinocerebellar tract (VSCT) have been studied with intracellular recording. Out of 110 VSCT neurones, the VST evoked monosynaptic EPSPs in 27, di- or polysynaptic EPSPs in 56 and disynaptic IPSPs in 26. In 93 tested VSCT cells, MLF stimulation evoked monosynaptic EPSPs in 26, monosynaptic IPSPs in 2, di- or polysynaptic EPSPs in 25 and disynaptic IPSPs in 21. Convergence of monosynaptic EPSPs from VST and MLF was found in a small proportion of cells whereas the two descending pathways evoked reciprocal effects in another small group of neurones. Convergence of monosynaptic EPSPs from VST or MLF and from group I afferents was also modest. In 9 VSCT neurones there was convergence of monosynaptic excitation and disynaptic inhibition from the vestibulospinal tract and the same pattern from MLF was recorded in 9 neurones. The results are discussed in view of the hypothesis that VSCT neurones carry information on the interneuronal ttransmission in the spinal cord.

Action Potentials↗