title: [Electrotonic transmission in the mammalian central nervous system (author's transl].
abstract: The aim of this review is to present the electrophysiological data, obtained in the mammalian central nervous system, which show that depolarisations recorded intracellularly, under certain experimental conditions can be interpreted in terms of electrotonic coupling. The results were obtained from very different structures: primary sensory nuclei, sensori-motor integration centres and motor nuclei. The association of the phenomenon of electrotonic transmission with a known ultrastructural substrate--the "gap junction"--has been defined by the term electrotonic coupling. In the cases where it has not been possible to link depolarisations with the presence of gap junctions, other possible morphological correlates have been envisaged. The functional significance of electrotonic interactions are discussed on the basis of information obtained from different experimental approaches.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000502:physiology; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000502:physiology
vernacular_title: Transmission électrotonique dans le système nerveux central des mammifères.