title: Alteration of the discharge pattern of rat diencephalic neurones with scrotal skin temperature.
abstract: Neuronal responses to different scrotal skin temperatures were examined in the hypothalamus of anaesthetised male rats. Mean firing rate and interspike intervals were calculated on-line by microcomputers. Two types of response were observed when the scrotal skin was warmed: an abrupt change in mean firing rate coupled with a change in firing pattern, or a change of pattern unaccompanied by any change in mean rate. These results suggest that hypothalamic cells can convey information independently of their mean firing rate.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012611:Scrotum / Q000294:innervation*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013823:Thermoreceptors / Q000502:physiology; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology