title: Cerebral cortical evoked potentials elicited by cat intercostal muscle mechanoreceptors.
abstract: Intercostal muscle afferents discharge in response to changes in intercostal muscle mechanics and have spinal and brain stem projections. It was hypothesized that intercostal muscle mechanoreceptors also project to the sensorimotor cortex. In cats, the proximal muscle branch of an intercostal nerve was used for electrical stimulation. The mechanical stimulation was stretch of an isolated intercostal space. The sensorimotor cortex was mapped with a surface ball electrode. Primary cortical evoked potentials (CEP) were found in area 3a of the sensorimotor cortex with mechanical and electrical stimulation. The CEP was elicited with the smallest stretch amplitude used, 50 microns. The CEP response showed little increase beyond 300-microns stretch. The CEP elicited by 50-microns stretch suggests an initial cortical activation by intercostal muscle spindles. The minimal increase in CEP amplitude with stretch > 300 microns suggests that the CEP response is primarily due to muscle spindle recruitment. The increase in amplitude beyond this stretch may be due to recruitment of tendon organs. These results demonstrate a short-latency projection of intercostal muscle mechanoreceptors to the sensorimotor region of the cerebral cortex. This cortical activation may be involved in respiratory sensations and/or transcortical reflex responses to changes in respiratory muscle mechanics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mercak
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reep
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Lindsey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002415:Cats; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004566:Electrodes; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007366:Intercostal Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology