• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.113-122
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• 1994

The present study was carried out to characterize the functional properties of spinomesencephalic tract (SMT) neurons in the lumbar spinal cord of urethane anesthetized rats. Extracellular single unit recordings were made from neurons antidromically activated by stimulation of the midbrain area, including the deep layers of superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray and midbrain reticular formation. Recording sites were located in laminae I-VII of spinal cord segments of L2-L5. Receptive field properties and responses to calibrated mechanical stimulation were studied in 78 SMT cells. Mean conduction velocity of SMT neurons was $19.1{\pm}1.04\;m/sec$. SMT units were classified according to their response profiles into four groups: wide dynamic range (58%), deep/tap (23%), high threshold (9%) and low threshold (3%). A simple excitatory receptive field was found for most SMT neurons recorded in superficial dorsal horn (SDH). Large complex inhibitory and/or excitatory receptive fields were found for cells in lateral reticulated area which usually showed long after-discharge. Most of SMT cells received inputs from $A{\delta}$ and C afferent fiber types. These results suggest that sensory neurons in the rat SMT may have different functional roles according to their location in the spinal cord in integrating and processing sensory inputs including noxious mechanical stimuli.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 1998

The present study was primarily carried out to characterize the properties of the spinomesencephalic tract (SMT) neurons that project from the upper cervical spinal segments to the midbrain. It was also investigated whether these neurons received convergent afferent inputs from other sources in addition to cervical inputs. Extracellular single unit recordings were made from neurons antidromically activated by stimulation of midbrain. Recording sites were located in lamina $I{\sim}VIII\;of\;C1{\sim}C3$ segments of spinal cord. Receptive field (RF) and response properties to mechanical stimulation were studied in 71 SMT neurons. Response profiles were classified into six groups: complex (Comp, n=9), wide dynamic range (WDR, n=16), low threshold (LT, n=5), high threshold (HT, n=6), deep/tap (Deep, n=10), and non- responsive (NR, n=25). Distributions of stimulation and recording sites were not significantly different between SMT groups classified upon their locations and/or response profiles. Mean conduction velocity of SMT neurons was $16.7{\pm}1.28\;m/sec$. Conduction velocities of SMTs recorded in superficial dorsal horn (SDH, n=15) were significantly slower than those of SMTs recorded in deep dorsal horn (DDH, n=18), lateral reticulated area (LRA, n=21), and intermediate zone and ventral horn (IZ/VH, n=15). Somatic RFs for SMTs in LRA and IZ/VH were significantly larger than those in SDH and DDH. Five SMT units (4 Comps and 1 HT) had inhibitory somatic RFs. About half (25/46) of SMT units have their RFs over trigeminal dermatome. Excitabilities of 5/12 cells and 9/13 cells were modulated by stimulation of ipsilateral phrenic nerve and vagus nerve, respectively. These results suggest that upper cervical SMT neurons are heterogenous in their function by showing a wide range of variety in location within the spinal gray matter, in response profile, and in convergent afferent input.