Reticulospinal neurones with axons in the dorsal part of the lateral funiculus of the lumbar segments.
The presence of reticulospinal axons in the dorsal part of the lateral funiculus (DLF) of the lumbar spinal cord segments was tested in chloralose-anaesthetized cats. In the medial part of the reticular formation, 59 units which gave antidromic responses to stimulation of the isolated DLF of segment L1--L3 were observed. The rate of their axonal conduction was 20--120 m/s. 62% of the units generated discharge activity in response to electrical stimulation of the skin of the trunk and/or the limbs. The activating intraspinal pathways were localized in the DLF and the ventral part of the cord. The most effective natural stimulus was tapping. Monosynaptic control from cerebellar pathways was confirmed in 37% of reticulospinal neurones with axones in the DLF. The results showed that reticulospinal axones form part of the dorsal reticulospinal system in the lumbar cord region.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002415:Cats; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005121:Extremities / Q000294:innervation; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009434:Neural Pathways; D010146:Pain; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013909:Thorax / Q000294:innervation; D014110:Touch