Abstract
A reflex blink typically inhibits subsequent blinks. In this study, we investigated whether the nature and time course of this inhibition vary when different combinations of blink-evoking stimuli are used. We used the paired stimulus paradigm, in which two blink-evoking stimuli — a conditioning stimulus followed by a test stimulus — are presented with a variety of interstimulus intervals, to examine the interactions between blinks evoked by trigeminal and acoustic stimuli in rats and humans. In addition, we studied the effect of a blink-evoking trigeminal stimulus on subsequent gaze-evoked blinks in humans. The results revealed that long-lasting inhibition occurred when the conditioning and test stimuli were within the same modality. A shorter period of inhibition followed by facilitation occurred when the stimuli were in different modalities. The data demonstrate that a blink-evoking stimulus initiates a lengthy period of inhibition in its own sensory pathway and a shorter period of inhibition in the reticular formation and/or in blink motoneurons. In addition, the results show that the blink-evoking stimulus also initiates a facilitatory process. Thus, the magnitude of a blink reflects a balance between inhibitory and facilitatory processes.
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Powers, A.S., Schicatano, E.J., Basso, M.A. et al. To blink or not to blink: inhibition and facilitation of reflex blinks. Exp Brain Res 113, 283–290 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02450326
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02450326