The effect of systemic cocaine on spontaneous and nociceptively evoked activity of neurons in the medial and lateral thalamus.
In rats, analgesic doses of cocaine (25 mg/kg, i.p.) suppressed the responses of 20 of 22 medial and lateral thalamic neurons to reticular formation and somatic noxious stimuli. The responses of 7 of 8 lateral thalamic neurons to innocuous somatic stimuli were unaffected or enhanced. The suppression of thalamic responses to noxious stimuli may be part of the mechanism underlying cocaine analgesia.
Belczynski
C R
CR
Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48105.
Pertovaara
A
A
Morrow
T J
TJ
Casey
K L
KL
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D003042:Cocaine