Electrical activity of the lateral rectus muscle and abducens nerve during unconditioned eye retraction induced by corneal stimulation in the cat.
Horizontal eye movements, the electromyogram of the lateral rectus muscle and the evoked electroneurogram of the VIth nerve were recorded in the alert cat during air puff stimulation of the cornea. A burst of activity was observed in the lateral rectus muscle following air puff stimulation of the ipsilateral or contralateral eye. This activity produced rotational eye movement. The VIth nerve produced two volleys of activity that were interpreted as the R1 and R2 parts of the reflex. It can be concluded that the lateral rectus muscle participates in the ocular retraction following trigeminal stimulation. It is further suggested that motoneurons in the main abducens nucleus participate in the corneal reflex, permitting several final pathways for conditioned and unconditioned nictitating membrane extension.
Gómez
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Departamento de Biologia y Fisiologia Animal, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.
Prado
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A
D000010:Abducens Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000502:physiology*