Movement- and behavioral state-dependent activity of pontine reticulospinal neurons

Direct input from cochlear root neurons to pontine reticulospinal neurons in albino rat.

The cochlear root neurons (CRNs) are thought to mediate the auditory startle reflex (ASR) in the rat, which is widely used as a behavioral model for the investigation of the sensorimotor integration. CRNs project, among other targets, to the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis (PnC), a major component of the ASR circuit, but little is known about the organization of this projection. Thus, we in...

Pontine reticular formation neurons and motor activity.

Pontine Reticulospinal and Other Bulbospinal Projections in the Newborn Mouse

Behavioral state modulates the activity of brainstem sensorimotor neurons.

Sensorimotor processing must be modulated according to the animal's behavioral state. A previous study demonstrated that motion responses were strongly state dependent in birds. Vestibular eye and head responses were significantly larger and more compensatory during simulated flight, and a flight-specific vestibular tail response was also characterized. In the current study, we investigated the...

Sleep and waking activity of pontine gigantocellular field neurons.

The sleep and waking discharge of pontine gigantocellular field' units was studied in unrestrained cats. Three cell types were distinguished on the basis of discharge rate. Type 1 had no spontaneous activity during quiet waking and sleep, discharging only during movements. Type 2 had high rates of tonic activity during both quiet waking and sleep. Type 3 had low activity rates during quiet waki...