Responses of cat cerebellar cortex neurons to stimulation of the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus and substantia nigra

Impulsive responses (IR) of the Purkinje cells (PC) and other units of the cerebellar cortex in the paramedian lobules, lobulus simplex and tuber vermis were evoked by stimulation of nucleus caudatus (NC) in cats under chloraloze-nembutal narcosis. The phasic IR as simple discharges (due to mossy fibre activation) were exhibited mainly with a latency of 5-12 and 14-20 ms; a latency of the compound responses ) due to climbing fibre PC activation) was equal to 5-6, 9-22 ms and more. There were differences in rhythmic reproduction of the responses depending on their latency. The recruitment responses were found during a 4-6/s NC stimulation. There was an inhibitory pause as an obligatory component of the tonic neuronal responses. Reactions of the same types (phasic and tonic) as in the case of the NC stimulation, but differing in unit's quantitative distribution according to the latency appeared in the globus pallidus (GP) stimulation. The minimal latency was 4 ms. Recruitment was observed as well. The substantia nigra (SN) stimulation evoked PC responses, activated by the climbing fibres with a stable latency (8.5 +/- 0.3 ms). SN, GP, n. inferior olive as well as thalamic nuclei are considered to play a definite role in realizing caudate-cerebellar connections, both oligosynaptic and polysynaptic.