title: Behaviour-dependent variability of potentials in the somatosensory cortex evoked by stimulation of the trigeminal nuclei in freely moving rats.
abstract: Nine hooded rats with chronically implanted epidural recording electrodes on the right primary somatosensory cortex, the olfactory bulb and bipolar stimulating electrodes in the left ponto-mesencephalic trigeminal nuclei and parabrachial region were investigated during different patterns of spontaneous behaviour. The early positive-negative component of the TNEP with peak times P5 and NII (ms) appeared about 1 ms earlier than after tooth pulp stimulation. The amplitude P5-N11 was slightly increased during drowsiness, decreased during slow wave sleep and was strongly decreased in behavioural patterns with movements, always compared with relaxed wakefulness. The behaviour-dependent changes of cortical EP to stimulation of trigeminal nuclei (TNEP) were analogous to those after tooth pulp stimulation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014278:Trigeminal Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*