title: Responses of neurons in the rat ventrolateral orbital cortex to phasic and tonic nociceptive stimulation.
abstract: Responses of ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) neurons to innocuous touch and pressure, and noxious pinch and cold were examined by extracellular recordings. Eight neurons increased their firing rate in a graded fashion to all stimuli applied, 4 units decreased their discharges, and 6 neurons remained unaffected. All responsive units displayed the greatest change in firing rate during noxious cold, and all exhibited whole-body receptive fields. These data further implicate the VLO in nonciception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Backonja
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miletic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology