title: Orienting-like reaction after ibotenic acid injections into the thalamic centre median nucleus in the cat.
abstract: The excitotoxin ibotenic acid was injected bilaterally into the intralaminar centre median nucleus of chronically implanted cats in order to study the effects of early excitation of centre median population on electrographic correlates of behavioral states and to compare them to those induced by injection into intralaminar centralis lateralis nucleus, previously shown. Immediately and during the first 24h after injection, highly aroused behavior with electrocortical activation, myoclonic jerks, enhancement of ocular movements and ponto-geniculo-occipital waves were observed. Surprisingly, in contrast to the increase of REM sleep episodes in centralis lateralis cases, REM sleep was obliterated. The injection sites were histologically confirmed. The different connectional properties of the two intralaminar population may explain the differential results. 5. In conclusion, the present behavioral observations and electrographic findings taken together with the known afferent and efferent projections suggest that the caudal group of intralaminar nuclei is involved in orienting-like behavior.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Fisiologia Umana II, Facolta di Medicina, Universita degli Studi, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marini
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002415:Cats; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000187:drug effects; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000502:physiology; D007051:Ibotenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009122:Muscle Hypertonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000502:physiology; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D007051:Ibotenic Acid