PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Sensorimotor Cortex”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

[Dose-dependent haloperidol modulation of the amplitude-time characteristics of the thalamo-cortical responses of the rabbit sensorimotor cortex in ontogeny].

The fact of marked neuroleptic modulation of the amplitude-temporal parameters of thalamo-cortical responses (TCR) of the sensorimotor cortex (SMC) in the range of "the therapeutic haloperidol window" and the psychotoxical phase was established in early postnatal ontogeny of rabbits. The gradual increase of blood haloperidol concentration was accompanied by non-harmonic increasing variations of the level of neuroleptic modulation of the amplitudes of separate TCR components. These dose-dependent variations with alternation of depression and potentiation of TCR components were observed not only in psychotoxical phase, but also inside "the therapeutic haloperidol window". In retarded, infantile individuals the lower threshold of haloperidol modulation of amplitude parameters of TCR SMC was observed in comparison with normally developing animals. In contrast to the amplitude parameters, dose-dependent modulation of latent periods of different components of TCR SMC was not of oscillatory but exponential character. This can testify to participation of different (by electrogenesis, biochemistry, and structure) neuronal pools in the processes of neuroleptically induced reorganization of amplitude and time markers of TCR SMC.

Aging↗

Biochemical and behavioral effects of a sensorimotor cortex injury in rats pretreated with the noradrenergic neurotoxin DSP-4.

The role of the noradrenergic (NE) system in recovery of motor function after sensorimotor cortex (SMCX) injury was investigated. After training on a beam-walking task to assess changes in motor function, animals were given DSP-4 or saline and tested for 2 weeks; both groups then received unilateral SMCX suction ablations. Animals that received DSP-4 were significantly retarded in motor recovery compared with the saline group. At 24 days after injury (after motor recovery), the animals' deficits were significantly reinstated with NE-blocking drugs. DSP-4 significantly depressed NE levels in the hippocampus and cerebellum. A Timm histochemical analysis revealed glutamatergic sprouting in the hippocampus of animals that were pretreated with DSP-4, which suggests the possibility that similar glutamatergic plasticity in other pathways may occur and that excitotoxicity might also play a role after the DSP-4 induced NE deafferentation.

Adrenergic Agents↗

Properties of subthreshold response and action potential recorded in layer V neurons from cat sensorimotor cortex in vitro.

Properties of the action potential and subthreshold response were studied in large layer V neurons in in vitro slices of cat sensorimotor cortex using intracellular recording and stimulation, application of agents that block active conductances, and a single-microelectrode voltage clamp (SEVC). A variety of measured parameters, including action-potential duration, afterpotentials, input resistance, rheobase, and membrane time constant, were similar to the same parameters reported for large neurons from this region of cortex in vivo. Action-potential amplitudes and resting potentials were greater in vitro. Most measured parameters were distributed unimodally, suggesting that these parameters are similar in all large layer V neurons irrespective of their axonal termination. The voltage response to subthreshold constant-current pulses exhibited both time and voltage dependence in the great majority of cells. Current pulses in either the hyperpolarizing or subthreshold depolarizing direction cause the membrane potential to attain an early peak and then decay (sag) to a steady level. On termination of the pulse, the membrane response transiently overshoots resting potential. Plots of current-voltage relations demonstrate inward rectification during polarization on either side of resting potential. Subthreshold inward rectification in the depolarizing direction is abolished by tetrodotoxin (TTX). The ionic currents responsible for subthreshold rectification and sag were examined using the SEVC. Steady inward rectification in the depolarizing direction is caused by a persistent, subthreshold sodium current (INaP) (54). Sag observed in response to a depolarizing current pulse is due to activation of a slow outward current, which superimposes on and partially counters the persistent sodium current. Both sag in response to hyperpolarizing current pulses and rectification in the hyperpolarizing direction are caused by a slow inward "sag current" that is activated by hyperpolarizing voltage steps. The sag current is unaltered by TTX, tetraethylammonium, (TEA), Co2+, Ba2+, or 4-aminopyridine. Fast-rising, short-duration action potentials can be elicited by an intracellular current pulse or by orthodromic or antidromic stimulation. Spikes are blocked by TTX. The form of the afterpotential following a directly evoked spike varies among cells with similar resting potentials. Biphasic afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) with fast and slow components were most frequently seen. About 30% of the cells displayed a depolarizing afterpotential (DAP), which was often followed by an AHP. Other cells displayed a purely monophasic AHP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Development of EEG epileptic activity and seizures during kindling in sensorimotor cortex in cats.

The problem of the relationship between stimulus intensity and kindling effect was studied in three groups of cats with bipolar stimulating electrodes implanted in the right posterior sigmoid gyrus (sensorimotor cortex). Daily stimulation with a 1-sec train of 60-Hz rectangular pulses was carried out in 17 cats over a period of from 27 to 265 days. Group I, 3 cats, was stimulated with a current intensity of 200 microA, peak-to-peak, which was subthreshold for afterdischarges (ADs); 6 animals from group II were stimulated with near-threshold currents (0.8--1.1 mA); and in the 8 animals of the group III, the ADs were evoked by threshold currents of 1.0--1.6 mA. The EEG was recorded from the sensorimotor and visual cortices, hippocampus, caudate nucleus, dentate nucleus, and cerebellar cortex. It was found that the low-current stimulation (200 microV) was not effective in inducing kindling. Near-threshold stimulation (below 1 mA) resulted in the development of bioelectrical epileptic activity in most cats. Threshold stimulation for AD resulted in the development of bioelectrical spontaneous activity and in an increase in the duration of ADs, as well as in generalized tonic-clonic seizures during cortical stimulations, in the majority of cats. Differences in hippocampal and neocortical kindling in cats are discussed in terms of ADs and seizure development. It was found that (1) a longer time was required for neocortical than for hippocampal kindling (3--10 weeks), and (2) there was greater variability in the effects of neocortical kindling. Secondary generalized seizures developed in the group with threshold stimulation for AD and were preceded by an increase in the number of ADs. The interictal epileptic activity developed in some cats in the absence of ADs.

Animals↗

Correlated activity of sensorimotor cortex neurons in the left and right hemispheres of the rabbit brain in immobilization catatonia.

Spike sequences extracted from multineuron activity from neurons in the sensorimotor cortex, and recorded simultaneously in the left and right hemispheres of the brains of rabbits in the state of immobilization catatonia ("animal hypnosis") and on recovery of animals from this state were analyzed. Cross-correlation analysis of spike flows revealed a temporal relationship between the appearance of neuron spikes in the left and right hemispheres; these were regarded as the mutual influences of these neurons on each other. The intensity of the influences of left hemisphere neurons on cells in the right brain was shown to change significantly in relation to baseline measures at all stages of the experiment and at all of the time points studied. The intensity of the influences of neurons in the right hemisphere on cells in the left hemisphere changed significantly only after animals recovered from the state of immobilization and over much more restricted time periods.

Action Potentials↗

The burst firing in the layer III and V pyramidal neurons of the cat sensorimotor cortex in vitro.

We identified the burst and single-spiking cells, and the repetitive bursting cells in layers III and V of the cat sensorimotor cortex with intracellular recording and staining techniques. Both types of the bursting cells were found in 22.7% of the recorded layer V neurons and in 23.1% of the recorded neurons in layer III. The bursting cells were characterized by the prominent afterdepolarization (ADP) which was usually reaching the threshold depolarization. Intracellular staining revealed that the morphology of the bursting cells was not so different from that of the regular-spiking cells in the cat.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Skilled-learning-induced potentiation in rat sensorimotor cortex: a transient form of behavioural long-term potentiation.

The relation between the acquisition of a skilled motor task and synaptic plasticity in the sensorimotor cortex of the awake, freely behaving rat was examined. Skilled-motor training was previously found to induce a functional reorganization of the caudal forelimb area, and to induce an increase in synaptic efficacy, measured in vitro, on the side contralateral to the reaching forelimb. Here, we repeatedly measured neocortical evoked potential recordings in awake, freely behaving rats to examine whether skilled training would induce changes in polysynaptic efficacy on the side contralateral to the reaching forelimb. We found that the increase in task proficiency, but not the acquisition of task requirements or the maintenance of task proficiency, induced an increase in synaptic efficacy on the side contralateral to the reaching forelimb. We also tested the hypothesis that skilled learning induced potentiation shares similar mechanisms to long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression by artificially manipulating polysynaptic efficacy in skilled rats with high- and low-frequency stimulation. We observed that, compared with the ipsilateral side, less potentiation but more depression could be induced on the side contralateral to the reaching forelimb. We conclude that a transient, network-based LTP-like mechanism operates during the learning of a skilled motor task.

Animals↗

Synaptic excitability of the burst firing neurons in cat sensorimotor cortex in vitro.

We have recently reported that the burst firing neurons are found in layer III as well as in layer V of cat sensorimotor cortex in vitro. In the present study, we examined the synaptic excitability of layer III neurons by white matter stimulation and compared with their firing patterns against the current injections through the recording microelectrodes. The firing patterns of layer III neurons were classified into three main classes as in our previous study, i.e., (1) regular spiking (RS), i.e., the tonic firing that often exhibited spike-frequency adaptation, (2) burst-and-single spiking (BS), i.e., the initial bursting followed by tonic firing, (3) repetitive-bursting (RB), the burst firing that recurred at fast frequency. In RS cells, single action potential was superimposed on the largest EPSPs among all cell types analyzed. BS cells also fired single action potential and never exhibited burst firing synaptically. Only in a part of RB cells, synaptic bursting instead of single action potential was evoked on smaller EPSPs. IPSPs could be observed in about 60% of all the recorded RS and BS cells, however, they were observed in only 10% of the RB cells.

Animals↗

Effect of antiserotonin antibodies on bioelectrical activity of sensorimotor cortex.

The effect of antiserotonin antibodies on basal electrocorticogram was studied in electrophysiological experiments on rats. Intracortical injection of 10 microg antiserotonin antibodies into the sensorimotor cortex induced epileptiform activity in this area. It is assumed that antiserotonin antibodies modulate activity of cortical neurons due to both binding serotonin molecules and interaction with serotonin receptors.

Animals↗

Quantitative analysis of firing properties of pyramidal neurons from layer 5 of rat sensorimotor cortex.

Quantitative aspects of repetitive firing evoked by injected current steps and ramps were studied in layer 5 pyramidal neurons in brain slices of rat sensorimotor cortex to answer the following questions. Do the tonic firing properties of burst-firing and regular-spiking (nonbursting) neurons differ significantly? Does burst firing denote a discrete class of neurons or represent a continuum of firing properties? Is firing rate during the burst of action potentials related to stimulus amplitude? What aspect of the stimulus might the initial firing rate code? How stable are a neuron's firing properties over time? All recorded neurons fired tonically to a long-lasting current above a minimum value, and the tonic firing properties of most neurons were quite similar irrespective of their initial response to a current step. Only a group of high-resistance neurons had significantly different tonic firing properties. When slow current ramps (rising between 0.5 and approximately 20 nA/s) were applied, the relation between firing rate and current during the ramp was very similar to the relation between tonic firing rate and current obtained from long-lasting current steps. Low-resistance cells exhibited three distinct initial responses to a current step: fast adaptation, high-threshold bursts, and low-threshold bursts, observed in 54, 28, and 10% of recorded cells, respectively. High-resistance cells exhibited a distinctive slow adaptation of firing rate. Slowly adapting, fast-adapting (FA), and high-threshold burster (HTB) neurons exhibited no adaptation near the minimum current that evoked repetitive firing (I(o)). FA and HTB cells exhibited two-spike adaptation to a fina tonic firing rate during currents up to 1.6 times I(o). Only a higher current (2.1 times I(o)) evoked a burst in HTB cells, whereas a burst was evoked at I(o) in the low-threshold burster cells. In most cells analyzed, the initial firing rate, whatever its nature, increased monotonically with current step amplitude. The response to fast current ramps indicated that firing rate during adaptation or bursting may code rate of change of current. Repeated measurements during long-duration impalements indicated that both transient and tonic firing properties are stable over time. We discuss how the different tonic firing properties of large and small pyramidal neurons could be more important functionally than the different transient responses (burst/nonburst) of the large neurons. We conclude that the large neurons would perform a better linear transduction of time-varying synaptic current that reaches their somata. We compare the responses evoked by somatically injected current with those evoked by dendritic glutamate iontophoresis in previous studies.

Animals↗

Magnetic field of the human sensorimotor cortex.

A magnetic field associated with voluntary finger flexion was found to be confined over a well-defined region of the scalp overlying the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the finger. The magnetic field had opposite directions over two regions of the scalp superior and inferior to the classical finger area of the cortex, implying that the field was generated by a source or sources in this area. The field whose onset begins approximately 50 ms prior to muscle activation was associated with a cortical source lying about 2.8 cm beneath the scalp and the active area shifted posteriorly 3-6 mm into the somatosensory area during the finger movement. Consistent with this shift, the early component of the magnetic field prior to flexion of a finger was absent when it was passively moved by the finger of the opposite hand, but the later components were present.

Afferent Pathways↗

Spatial distribution of modalities and receptive fields in sensorimotor cortex of awake cats.

A sample of 504 single neurons isolated in three curvilinear arrays of 10 closely spaced tracks in primary somatosensory and in pericruciate sensorimotor cortex was studied in two awake, restrained domestic cats. Modality sensitivity and receptive field size and location were assessed for each neuron, along with response adaptation rate and state of arousal at the time of recording. Reconstruction of the spatial distribution of these response properties failed to show any simple organization, beyond general somatotopy. The spatial distribution of modality sensitivities was quantitatively tested in relation to a strict columnar model and to a random model; the data could not be clearly distinguished from the random model, in any of the three recording arrays. Observations made on two or more neurons isolated simultaneously at the same recording site revealed that few shared both modality and receptive field (RF) in common. Among the simultaneously recorded neurons, five-ninths showed disparate modality sensitivities and two-thirds showed limited or no RF overlap. Many pairs of neurons showing the same modality sensitivity showed limited or no RF overlap, and many pairs showing partial or complete RF overlap showed disparate modality sensitivities. Hence, the data failed to support any model of cerebral organization that features local, bounded regions within which all neuron response properties are the same and, in particular, the model of columnar organization. On the other hand, models that feature intermingled local clusters of neurons (a cluster consists of neurons that share the same response properties) are not excluded by the data.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Slow conductances in neurons from cat sensorimotor cortex in vitro and their role in slow excitability changes.

1. The electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of slow afterpotentials in large layer V neurons from cat sensorimotor cortex were studied in an in vitro slice preparation using intracellular recording and single-microelectrode voltage clamp. These properties were used to assess the role of afterpotential mechanisms in prolonged excitability changes. 2. The mean duration of a slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) was 13.5 s following 100 spikes evoked at 100 Hz. Its time course was best described by two exponential components, which decayed with time constants of several hundred milliseconds (the early sAHP) and several seconds (the late sAHP). The amplitude of both the early and late components were sensitive to membrane potential and raised extracellular K+ concentration [( K+]o). 3. The early sAHP was reduced when divalent cations were substituted for Ca2+, whereas the late sAHP was unaffected. We conclude that a Ca2+-mediated K+ conductance is responsible for much of the early sAHP. In the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX), 1-s voltage-clamp steps were used to evoke slow AHPs or outward ionic currents. These AHPs and currents were abolished in Ca2+-free perfusate, but they had a maximum duration of only a few seconds. Thus the slowest outward currents we could observe during voltage clamp in TTX were responsible only for the early sAHP. 4. The possible role of an electrogenic Na+-K+ pump in the late sAHP was examined by applying ouabain to the slice. Ouabain did not reduce selectively the late sAHP, and its effect was best explained by a decrease in intracellular K+ concentration and an increase in [K+]o. 5. Muscarinic and beta-adrenergic agonists reduced or abolished the entire (early and late) sAHP. Neither type of agonist affected the Ca2+-dependent, apamin-sensitive medium-duration afterhyperpolarization (35). We conclude that both the Ca2+-mediated K+ conductance underlying the early sAHP and the Ca2+-independent mechanisms underlying the late sAHP are sensitive to at least two classes of transmitter agonists. 6. We focused on the muscarinic effects. When concentrations greater than 5 microM were employed, the entire (early and late) sAHP was replaced by a slow afterdepolarization (sADP). Muscarine reduced the sAHP directly by reducing the underlying outward ionic currents and indirectly by causing the sADP. The sADP was Ca2+-mediated, since it was abolished by Ca2+-free perfusate but not by TTX. 7. The ionic currents underlying the sAHP and the sADP influenced excitability for seconds following evoked repetitive firing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

[Quantitative analysis of dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons in the layers of the sensorimotor cortex of rats exposed to the Cosmos-1667 biosputnik].

There was made a quantitative description of dendritic spine density in the layer V pyramidal neurons of sensorimotor cortex in experimental and control rats. There was found an increase the number of apical dendritic spines lying in the layers III-IV both in the flight and control experimental groups. There was also an increase in the number of oblique dendritic spines in the layers III-IV in the flight group. No changes in basal dendritic spines and apical dendritic spines were noted in the layer I-II.

Animals↗

The corticofugal projections from the sensorimotor cortex to the spinal cord. A neuroanatomical and autoradiographical study in the cat with some methodological comments.

An autoradiographical analysis of the corticospinal projections from the sensorimotor cortex of the cat using several 3H-labelled protein precursors showed a distribution of radioactivity on the contralateral side of the spinal cord in fairly good agreement with the findings using silver impregnation techniques. The findings on the ipsilateral side were sparse and the radioactivity was located to the transitional area of lamina VII and VIII almost as intensely as over the contralateral lamina VII. This pattern was more in line with that of the monkey and indicates a more common corticospinal terminal pattern in higher vertebrates. The corticospinal tracts were difficult to demonstrate even in horizontal sections apart from the crossed lateral tract. This was interpreted as a sign of insufficiency of the labelling considering the number of strongly labelled cortical cells. The lumbosacrally projecting neurons were rather difficult to demonstrate and most of them were situated in the more superficial areas around the cruciform sulcus. The investigation was mainly based on labelling the cortex with 3H-fucose which provided the most intense, differential and reproducable labellings. This was considered due to a lesser tendency to encounter selective neuronal uptake phenomenas. The transported amounts of radioactivity were relatively poor and unsuitable for studies of the finer somatotopics or EM-autoradiography of the synaptology.

Animals↗

Layer-by-layer analysis of the components of thalamocortical responses of the sensorimotor cortex in the rabbit during ontogenesis.

The complex dynamics of the changes in the spatial-temporal disposition of the heterocomponent thalamocortical responses (TCR) when traversing the sensorimotor cortex (SMC), are governed by the characteristics of the electrogenesis of each of the components of the TCR, the age of the animal, and the frequency of stimulation of the ventroposterolateral (VPL) nucleus of the thalamus. At the same time, the transformation of the electrical profile of the second positive component (PC-2) of the TCR during traversal of the SMC may suggest the algebraic summation in this component of the bioelectrical processes of several sources of generation (of the inverted and noninverted PC-2). The characteristics of the ontogenetic dynamics of the profiles of the biological fields of the third negative component (NC-3) of the TCR which were found may be the result of age-related stages of development and of a change in the embryonal mechanisms of electrogenesis to the definitive mechanisms in the presence of outwardly similar negativities.

Animals↗

Microglial and astrocytic reactions prior to onset of thalamic cell death after traumatic lesion of the rat sensorimotor cortex.

The temporospatial relationship between microglial and astrocytic reactions and delayed thalamic cell death was examined 1-7 days following a traumatic cold lesion of the rat sensorimotor cortex using immunocytochemistry in combination with terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated biotinylated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) of nuclear DNA fragmentation. No or only occasional TUNEL-positive cells were found in the thalamic relay nuclei up to 3 days after trauma. After 7 days, on the other hand, a considerable number of TUNEL-positive cells were seen in the ventrobasal, the ventrolateral and posterior thalamic nuclei. Already 3 days after trauma, i.e., before cell injury was detectable, many protoplasmic astrocytes, which were reactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein, and ramified microglia, which were positive for complement receptor type 3b (CR3b) but negative for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen, were noticed in the thalamus. The number of labeled astro- and microglia further increased after 7 days, when DNA fragmentation became evident. At this time, the morphology of microglia shifted towards bushy and rod-like cells, and microglia became also reactive for MHC class II antigen. Clusters of CR3b- and MHC class II-positive microglia were found in the ventrobasal thalamus. The present findings demonstrate that trauma-induced microglial and astrocytic reactions appear in the thalamus prior the onset of cell damage.

Animals↗