title: The effect of systemic cocaine on spontaneous and nociceptively evoked activity of neurons in the medial and lateral thalamus.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48105.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Belczynski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pertovaara
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Casey
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine