Research article summary (published 18 Sep 2002):

Synaptic transmission between single tactile and kinaesthetic sensory nerve fibers and their central target neurones.

Full Abstract

Selective activation of single tactile or kinaesthetic afferent nerve fibers in conscious human subjects by means of the intraneural microstimulation procedure reveals quite marked differences among the different classes in their capacity for eliciting perceptual responses. This work, conducted largely by Swedish researchers, suggests that there may be differential transmission security for different fiber classes across synaptic linkages in the central tactile and kinaesthetic sensory pathways. In order to test this hypothesis we have developed an experimental paradigm in the anaesthetized cat, based upon paired, simultaneous recording from an individual afferent fiber in an intact peripheral nerve fascicle, and from the central target neurone of that afferent fiber within the dorsal column nuclei (DCN). Our results demonstrate, for all tactile and kinaesthetic fiber classes examined, that the minimum sensory input, a single impulse in one sensory fiber, can generate spike output from DCN target neurones. This remarkable security of transmission has been demonstrated for single Pacinian corpuscle (PC) fibers (associated with Pacinian Corpuscle receptors); single SAI and SAII fibers (the slowly adapting Type I and II tactile fibers associated, respectively, with Merkel and Ruffini receptor endings); the Hair Follicle Afferent fibers (HFA fibers); and kinaesthetic afferent fibers of both joint and muscle origin. The results demonstrate that the differential capacities of various tactile and kinaesthetic fiber classes to generate perceptual responses when activated singly in microneurography experiments do not appear to be explicable in terms of systematic differences in DCN transmission characteristics.

Author information

Author/s: Rowe, Mark J (MJ);

Affiliation: School of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. m.rowe(-atsign-)unsw.edu.au

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: Behavioural brain research (Behav Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Sep; vol 135 (issue 1-2) : pp 197-212

Dates: Created 2002/10/01; Completed 2002/11/25; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12356451, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Animals Fingers - innervation; physiology Hair Follicle - innervation; physiology Humans Kinesthesis - physiology Nerve Fibers - physiology

Nerve Fibers - physiology Neural Pathways - cytology; physiology Neurons, Afferent - physiology Synapses - physiology Synaptic Transmission - physiology Touch - physiology

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