Cuneate nucleus

About: Cuneate nucleus is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 614 publications have been published within this topic receiving 24859 citations. The topic is also known as: cuneate nucleus of spinal cord.

Identification and Modeling of Sensory Feedback Processing in a Brain System for Voluntary Movement Control

Abstract: The body shows impressive control capabilities in terms of the speed and the precision with which movements can be carried out under a wide variety of circumstances. The cerebellum and brainstem nuclei, including the cuneate nucleus, are believed to play a crucial role in this control. If these control mechanisms can be unveiled, this could yield important insights in not only medicine and neurophysiology, but could also control theory in general, which could then potentially be applied in a variety of industry-based control applications. In this thesis system identification and modeling of one subsystem is considered: the cuneate nucleus. The aim of this project is to create a quantitative model for control of a network of neurons in this structure and to create a detailed single-cell model of the cuneate neuron. A two-pronged approach is used to study the function of this structure. First a black-box like system identification using Matlab with experimental data as in- and output signals is considered. Then, building on a previously developed Scicos neuron model, a detailed neuron model of one cuneate neuron is developed, incorporating many aspects of recently described cellular neurophysiology. Our findings suggest that the cuneate nucleus acts as filter for its input sensory signal, applying a differentiating and phase-lead effect on the transmitted signal. These are interesting features of a control system, and could help understand how the body can attain such a high degree of precision in its movements. (Less)

Central neurophysiologic mechanisms of the regulation of inhibition.

Abstract: The neuronal populations of the cuneate nucleus of the midbrain, the medial parabrachial nucleus, the median and magnus nuclei of the raphe, the electrical and local chemical stimulation of which elicits the inhibition of the motor activity of animals, were determined in chronic experiments on freely-moving white male mongrel rats. It was established that when each of the enumerated regions of the brain are stimulated electrically in other zones which elicit motor inhibition, multineuronal responses with a latent period of less than 2.5 msec were recorded. At the same time, multidirectional bilateral changes in muscle tone of the flexors and extensors of the hind limbs are observed in sodium ethaminal anesthetized and unanesthetized animals. The electrolytic destruction of the inhibitory zones of the median raphe nucleus and raphe nucleus magnus blocks the motor inhibition elicited by electrical stimulation of the cuneate nucleus of the midbrain and the medial parabrachial nucleus.