Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 6, 1831-1842, Copyright © 1986 by Society for Neuroscience
The effects of brain stem transections on the neuronal networks responsible for rhythmical jaw muscle activity in the guinea pig
SH Chandler and M Tal
The purpose of this study was to determine the critical areas of brain stem
necessary for the production of cortically induced rhythmical jaw muscle
activity (RJMs) in the anesthetized guinea pig. It was found that
longitudinal midline transections of the lower brain stem starting at the
obex and extending to the rostral third of the inferior olivary nucleus
(IO) were able to abolish rhythmical EMG activity in the jaw- opener muscle
(digastric) on the same side (ipsilateral) as the cortical stimulus. Under
these conditions, rhythmical activity in the contralateral digastric (DIG)
EMG was not affected. Midline transections extending from the rostral
superior colliculus to 500 microns rostral to the trigeminal motor nucleus
had no effect on cortically evoked bilateral DIG rhythmical EMG activity.
Serial transverse hemisections of the left side of the medulla, starting at
the obex and extending to the rostral third of the IO, reduced the
amplitude of the left DIG EMG without producing significant effects in the
cycle characteristics [cycle duration (CD) or burst duration (BD)] of that
muscle during stimulation of the contralateral (right) cortex. Hemisections
more rostral to the IO completely abolished bilateral rhythmical DIG
activity induced by stimulation of the cortex on the side opposite to the
transection (right cortex). Under these conditions, stimulation of the
cortex on the side ipsilateral to the left hemisection (left cortex)
initiated rhythmical EMG activity with normal cycle characteristics in only
the contralateral (right) DIG muscle. Transverse hemisections as little as
500 microns rostral to the trigeminal motor nucleus (Mot V), which spared
the pyramidal tract, had no effect on RJMs induced by stimulation of either
cortex. These data suggest that each ipsilateral cortex initiates activity
in neuronal oscillatory networks located exclusively in the contralateral
brain stem; bilateral rhythmical DIG activity is produced by neurons in the
contralateral brain stem; each side of the lower brain stem is capable of
producing rhythmical DIG activity independent of the integrity of the other
side; and the location of the neuronal oscillators responsible for RJMs is
between the rostral IO and the trigeminal motor nucleus.