Behaviour-dependent variability of potentials in the somatosensory cortex evoked by stimulation of the trigeminal nuclei in freely moving rats.
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.
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*