title: The effect of a low pyramidal transection following previous transection of the dorsal column in cats.
abstract: In order to test the working hypothesis that motor deficits after low pyramidotomy may be due to transection of the cortico-cuneate pathway, a low pyramidotomy was made 2-4 months after a C2 dorsal column (DC) transection and tested on forelimb target-reaching and food-taking. Since food-taking recovered faster than after pyramidotomy alone, it is inferred that the loss of food-taking after pyramidotomy without previous DC transection is due mainly to transection of the cortico-cuneate pathway which controls transmission from forelimb Ia afferents to the motor cortex. The dysmetria and dyscoordination of target-reaching, on the other hand, was similar whether or not the low pyramidotomy was made after a previous C2 DC transection. It is tentatively suggested that dysmetria and dyscoordination of target-reaching after pyramidotomy may be due to transection of the pathway from the motor cortex which controls spinocerebellar transmission by its effect on the lateral reticular nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alstermark
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tantisira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003655:Decerebrate State; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005552:Forelimb / Q000294:innervation; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000502:physiology*