NON-LEMNISCAL INTEGRATION IN VENTROBASAL THALAMUS

这项提案涉及“非lemniscal”的转换。 丘脑皮质中继神经元的传入输入输出 猫丘脑的腹基底核。这样的机制 可能构成感官辨别的基本基础 疼痛的各个方面，因此，在未来的研究中变得重要 关于在正常和病理状态下的疼痛缓解。 具体目标是：(1)确定形态 个体顶端分枝的特征 VB的脊髓丘脑(STT)和颈丘脑(CTT)束轴突， (2)确定STT和CTT轴突终末与 Vb区丘脑皮质中继性神经元和内源性神经元(3) 三叉神经节的形态特征和准确的突触模式 单独的、功能识别的和轴内标记的STT 和CTT末端乔木，(4)相关分析表明 非丘脑和丘脑传入神经元的突触模式 它们在功能特性上的差异。 将在两个地点进行三组主要的实验 光学和电子显微镜水平：(A)形态分析 顺行的分枝和终止模式 VB中标记的STT和CTT轴突，(B)一项结合 顺行标记的STT和CTT的形态分析 轴突终末及其突触后的特征 和(C)个体的生理学研究。 利用线内标记识别STT和CTT纤维 建立非结构/功能关系的技术 VB中的丘脑传入纤维。

This proposal is concerned with the conversion of "non-lemniscal" afferent input into thalamocortical relay cell output in the ventrobasal (VB) nuclei of the cat thalamus. Such mechanisms may form a fundamental basis for the sensory discriminative aspects of pain, and as such, become important in future studies concerning pain relief in both te normal and pathologic states. The specific aims are: (1) determine the morphological characteristics of the terminal arborizations of individual spinothalamic (STT) and cervicothalamic (CTT) tract axons in VB, (2) determine the relationships of STT and CTT axon terminals to thalamcortical relay and intrinsic neurons in VB, (3) examine the morophological characteristics and exact synaptic patterns of individual, functionally identified and intra-axonally labeled STT and CTT terminal arbors in VB, (4) correlate differences in the synaptic patterns of non-lemnisal and lemniscal afferents with differences in their functional properties. Three primary sets of experiments are to be conducted at both light and electron microscopic levels: (a) a morphological analysis of the branching and termination patterns of anterogradely labeled STT and CTT axons in VB, (b) a study combining the morphological analysis of anterogradely labeled STT and CTT axon terminations with the characterization of their postsynaptic targets in VB, and (c) a physiological study of individually identified STT and CTT fibers utilizing intraxonal labeling techniques to establish structure/function relationships of non- lemniscal afferent fibers in VB.