On the cerebello-thalamo-cerebral pathway for the parietal cortex.

TLDR: P neurones constitute the direct T-C projection system mediating the superficial T- C response to the parietal cortex, and are concluded to constitute the basic type of the so-called recruiting response.

Abstract: 1. The cerebello-thalamo-cerebral projection system mediating the cerebellar-induced “superficial thalamo-cortical (T-C) response” (the basic type of the so-called recruiting response) to the anterior part of the middle suprasylvian gyrus was investigated electrophysiologically. Responses of thalamic neurones to stimulation of the cerebral cortex and the cerebellar nucleus (medial, interpositus and lateral) were recorded by microelectrodes. 2. In the anterior portions of the ventral thalamic nuclear complex, presumably in and/or around the ventral anterior (VA) nucleus, there were found neurones responding antidromically to stimulation of the suprasylvian cortex and orthodromically to that of the interpositus and the lateral nucleus of the cerebellum. They were called P neurones. The neurones responding antidromically to stimulation of the anterior sigmoid cortex and orthodromically to that of the cerebellar nuclei located mostly caudo ventrolateral to the place of P neurones, presumably in and/or around the ventral lateral (VL) nucleus. These were called F neurones. 3. The cerebellar excitation of P neurones was estimated on its latency to be monosynaptic and was usually followed by an inhibition lasting for more than 100 msec. Large unitary EPSPs were sometimes noted in P neurones on cerebellar stimulation as well as spontaneously. It was concluded that P neurones constitute the direct T-C projection system mediating the superficial T-C response (e. g., recruiting response) to the parietal cortex.