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G I Allen

Publications and source records attributed to G I Allen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Pontine and non-pontine pathways mediating early mossy fiber responses from sensorimotor cortex to cerebellum in the cat.

Stimulation of the cat's sensorimotor cortex evokes a short-latency mossy fiber field potential (N2) in the pars intermedia of the cerebellum. The fraction of the response carried by each of the six cerebellar peduncles was determined by comparing the field potentials before and after electrolytic lesions of individual cerebellar peduncles. The response evoked from the contralateral cerebrum is 3.5 times as large as that evoked from ipsilateral cerebrum. The size of the N2 wave from contralateral cerebral cortex is reduced to about half of the original size after electrolytic lesion of either the brachium pontis (BP) or the restiform body (RB) ipsilateral to the recording site, while only a small reduction in the size of N2 is observed after lesions of contralateral BP and RB. This indicates that inputs responsible for the generation of the N2 wave from contralateral cerebral cortex enter the cerebellum primarily through ipsilateral BP and RB. In contrast, the N2 wave from ipsilateral cerebral cortex is reduced by approximately one quarter following lesions of any one of the four RB's and BP's. Fibers in the brachium conjunctivum do not contribute to these responses. Observation on the P2 field potential, representing postsynaptic firing of granule cells, suggest that the cerebro-ponto-cerebellar and cerebro-reticulo-cerebellar mossy fiber pathways converge onto granule cells. Furthermore, these two inputs must arrive within 3 ms of each other in order to activate the granule cells. In addition, it is shown that BP lesions reducing the mossy fiber input lead to an increase in the climbing fiber input.

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PubMed1978

Convergence of cerebral inputs onto dentate neurons in monkey.

The patterns of convergence of inputs from different areas of the cerebral cortex and the peripheral nerves onto single dentate neurons was studied in cebus monkeys. Dentate neurons receive their strongest and most numerous inputs from the premotor and supplementary motor regions of area 6. The sensorimotor and frontal cortices have weaker projections to the dentate nucleus, while peripheral nerves and many other association cortical areas were found to be effective in influencing cells of the lateral cerebellum. Dentate cells that respond to stimulation of hindlimb regions of the sensorimotor cortex tend to receive their principal input from the supplementary motor area and medial premotor regions, while neurons responding to forelimb sensorimotor cortex tend to receive lateral premotor inputs. In addition there is a topographical organization within the ventral pole of dentate with the hindlimb represented in the anterior regions and the forelimb in the posterior regions. These results are compared with those of similar studies of interpositus and dentate neurons in cat and monkey. The differences between the afferent inputs to dentate and interpositus are consistent with the suggestion that the lateral cerebellum is involved in programming movement parameters before movement initiation while the intermediate zone is involved in up-dating the evolving movement.

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PubMed1977

The mode of synaptic linkage in the cerebro-ponto-cerebellar pathway investigated with intracellular recording from pontine nuclei cells of the cat.

1. Intracellular potentials of pontine nuclei (PN) cells were recorded in cats anesthetized with pentobarbitone sodium. 2. Stimulation of the cerebellar nuclear regions or the brachium pontis induced an antidromic action potential composed of IS-SD spikes, after-depolarization and after-hyperpolarization. 3. Cerebellar stimulation produced EPSPs only in a few PN cells. 4. Activation of the corticopontine or pyramidal tract produced in all PN cells an EPSP built up from the unitary components with variable amplitudes and time courses. Paired or repetitive activation revealed a property of the frequency potentiation of the EPSP. 5. Unitary EPSPs also occurred spontaneously. A great majority of these spontaneous EPSPs were cerebral in origin, and had amplitudes and time courses comparable with those evoked by stimulation of the corticopontine or pyramidal tract. 6. The half-width versus time of peak relationship of these unitary EPSPs suggested a dendritic location of the synapses with variable distances from the soma. It is assumed that large, proximal synapses serve for efficient relay of signals while small, distal synapses for their integration.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1977

Integration of cerebral and peripheral inputs by interpositus neurons in monkey.

The patterns of convergence of cerebral and peripheral nerve inputs onto interpositus neurons were studied in cebus monkeys. The strongest inputs to interpositus neurons are from motor and somatosensory cortex, with weaker inputs from peripheral nerves and cerebral area 6. The neurons in the anterior portion of interpositus receive cerebral and peripheral inputs primarily representing the hindlimb, while inputs to neurons in the posterior division represent forelimb or mixed forelimb and hindlimb. The hindlimb neurons integrate signals principally from motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, nerves, supplementary motor and medial pre-motor areas, while forelimb neurons receive inputs from motor, somatosensory, lateral premotor cortical areas and nerves. The results from this study are compared with those from studies of interpositus and dentate neurons in cat and monkey in order to determine the role of n. interpositus in movement. It is suggested that the inputs integrated by interpositus neurons are consistent with a role in up-dating skilled movements.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1975

The mode of synaptic linkage in the cerebro-ponto-cerebellar pathway of the cat. I. Responses in the brachium pontis.

Cerebrally-induced responses of pontine nuclei cells (PN cells) were studied in cats anesthetized with pentobarbitone sodium and with the midbrain transected bilaterally sparing only the cerebral penuncles. After stimulating the subcortical white matter, the internal capsule or the cerebral peduncle, mass potentials were recorded from the cut end of fibres in the brachium pontis (BP) and in the pyramid at the level of the trapezoid body. These potentials were regarded as indicating, respectively, the size of an output volley of PN cells and the size of its causative input volley through the pyramidal tract. BP responses consisted of short- and long-latency potentials which were caused by fast and slow conducting pyramidal tract volleys, respectively. The input-output relations for fast component responses took a characteristic S-shaped form resembling those obtained from the monosynaptic spinal reflex. The input-output relations for slow component responses were almost linear. Both fast and slow BP responses were remarkably potentiated after single or relatively brief repetitive peduncular stimulation, but were depressed after long-lasting high-frequency activation. During repetitive stimulation with varied frequencies, fast and slow BP responses showed different patterns of frequency-dependence of their amplitudes. These results suggest the existence of two separate transmission lines with different properties in cerebro-ponto-cerebellar pathways.

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PubMed1975

The mode of synaptic linkage in the cerebro-ponto-cerebellar pathway of the cat. II. Responses of single cells in the pontine nuclei.

Extracellular and intracellular recordings were made from single cells in the pontine nuclei (PN) of the cat. PN cells were identified by antidromic invasion from the cerebellum by stimulating either the brachium pontis (BP) or the white matter near the cerebellar nuclei. The cerebrally-induced impulses excited PN cells postsynaptically with a monosynaptic latency. Both fast and slow conducting cortical fibres contributed to the corticopontine excitation, so that the latency varied over a wide range. Measurements of the latencies for antidromic and corticopontine excitation and of the distances between stimulated sites permitted the calcuation of conduction velocities of PN cell axons and of their cortical input fibres. PN cells with fast conducting axons received convergence from both fast and slow cortical fibres, whereas PN cells with slow axons were innervated only by slow cortical fibres. The majority of PN cells were also excited by stimulating the medullary pyramid through collaterals of the pyramidal tract. Evidence of abundant pyramidal collaterals was provided by the collision technique. The functional role of the PN is discussed in connection with the cerebro-cerebellar loop circuits.

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PubMed1972

Synaptic actions of peripheral nerve impulses upon Deiters neurones via the climbing fibre afferents.

1. The cerebellar integration of sensory inputs to Deiters neurones was studied in cats under Nembutal anaesthesia.2. Stimulation of peripheral nerves produced in the Deiters neurones a sequence of an initial excitatory post-synaptic potential (e.p.s.p.) and a later inhibitory post-synaptic potential (i.p.s.p.), or a relatively small e.p.s.p.3. The Deiters neurones were classified as forelimb (FL)- or hind limb (HL)-type cells according to the location of the most effective peripheral nerve. In the FL cells stimulation of the forelimb nerves produced the e.p.s.p.-i.p.s.p. sequence (dominant response), while stimulation of the hind limb nerves was ineffective or produced the small e.p.s.p. (non-dominant response). In contrast, in the HL cells the non-dominant response was evoked from the forelimb nerves, and the dominant response from the hind limb nerves.4. The stimulus intensity-response relation indicates that Group I and II muscle afferents and low and high threshold cutaneous afferents contribute to the dominant and non-dominant responses.5. Antidromic identification of these Deiters neurones revealed that 90% of the HL cells and 85% of the FL cells project to the lumbo-sacral and cervico-thoracic segments of the spinal cord, respectively, while 10% of the HL cells and 15% of the FL cells innervate the cervico-thoracic and lumbo-sacral segments, respectively.6. The mean latency of the e.p.s.p. evoked from the forelimb nerves was 14 msec in the FL cells and 13 msec in the HL cells, and the latency of the e.p.s.p. evoked from the hind limb nerves was 17 msec in the FL cells and 18 msec in the HL cells. The later i.p.s.p. regularly followed the onset of the e.p.s.p. with a delay of 3-5 msec.7. The dominant and non-dominant responses in both types of cells exhibited the following three characteristic features: (i) a strong depression after conditioning stimulation of the inferior olive, (ii) an increase of the inferior olivary excitability during the responses, and (iii) a striking frequency depression with stimulation at relatively low frequency (5-10/sec).8. Consequently it was concluded that all of the responses were produced through the climbing fibres originating from the inferior olive, the i.p.s.p.s due to inhibition from Purkyne cells activated by the climbing fibres and the e.p.s.p.s due to excitation from the collaterals of the climbing fibres.

Animals↗
PubMed1972

Synaptic actions of peripheral nerve impulses upon Deiters neurones via the mossy fibre afferents.

1. The cerebellar integration of sensory inputs to Deiters neurones was investigated in decerebrate cats. In some preparations decerebration was combined with transection of the olivocerebellar fibres.2. In the latter preparations peripheral nerve impulses generally produced a response consisting of a sequence of the following post-synaptic potentials: (i) an initial e.p.s.p. (d(1)), (ii) early i.p.s.p. (h(1)), (iii) later i.p.s.p. (h(2)).3. The mean latencies of d(1), h(1) and h(2) were 5.7, 7.3 and 9.8 msec from the forelimb nerves, and 7.5, 9.0 and 13.4 msec from the hind limb nerves, respectively.4. The stimulus intensity-response relation indicates that the Group I muscle afferents as well as the low threshold cutaneous afferents contribute to the response.5. In the preparations with the intact inferior olive there were additional components of the post-synaptic potentials: a later e.p.s.p. (d(2)) and another later i.p.s.p. (h(3)), their mean latencies being 15.3 and 19.7 msec from the forelimb nerves, and 18.0 and 21.3 msec from the hind limb nerves, respectively.6. The d(1) and h(2) components were attributed to the mossy fibre afferents and d(2) and h(3) to the climbing fibres; d(1) and d(2) were due to excitation through the collaterals of the mossy and climbing fibres, and h(2) and h(3) to inhibition from Purkyne cells activated by the mossy and climbing fibres, respectively. h(1) was too early to be produced through the cerebellum, and was probably mediated by inhibitory neurones in the reticular formation.

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