HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 577/1/69    most recent jphysiol.2006.117218v1 Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Holtzman, T. Articles by Edgley, S. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Holtzman, T. Articles by Edgley, S. A. Related Collections Neuroscience

¹ Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK

We recently showed that the activity of cerebellar Golgi cells can be powerfully modulated by stimulation of peripheral afferents, in a pattern different to local Purkinje cells. Here we have examined the pathways underlying these responses. Graded electrical stimulation of muscle and cutaneous nerves revealed that long-lasting depressions and short-lasting excitations of Golgi cells were evoked by stimulation of cutaneous nerves at stimulus intensities that activated large mechanoreceptive afferents, and grew as additional afferents were recruited. In contrast, none of the neurones responded to stimulation of muscle nerves at intensities that activated group I afferents, although about half responded with long-lasting depressions, but not excitations, to stimuli that recruited group II and III afferents. Selective lesions of the spinal dorsal columns did not affect either of these types of response. After lesions of one lateral funiculus in the lumbar cord the responses evoked by stimulation of the hindlimb contralateral to the lesion were reduced or abolished, leaving responses evoked by ipsilateral hindlimb afferents unaltered. Since both ipsi- and contralateral afferents generate responses in Golgi cells, the convergence from the two sides must occur supraspinally. It is difficult to reconcile these properties with any of the direct spinocerebellar pathways or spinoreticulocerebellar pathways that have been described. Instead, it is likely that the responses are evoked via the multimodal ‘wide dynamic range’ neurones of the anterolateral system. Golgi cell activity may thus be powerfully enhanced or depressed during arousal via the anterolateral system.

(Received 15 July 2006; accepted after revision 12 August 2006; first published online 17 August 2006)
Corresponding author S. A. Edgley: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK. Email: sae1000{at}cam.ac.uk