Flexion reflex elicited by ventral root afferents in the cat

Hong Kee Shin, Jun Kim, Jin Mo Chung

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    13 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    To investigate the physiological role of ventral root afferent fibers, the ventral root was stimulated in spinal cats in an attempt to clicit the flexion reflex, a common nociceptive spinal reflex. The flexion reflex was elicited by stimulating the distal stump of the cut L7 or S1 ventral root and recorded from the proximal stump of the cut S1 ventral root. In 12 of the 14 cats studied, the flexion reflex was recorded as a compound action potential. The finding was confirmed by recording single-unit activity from 5 units in two cats. These results suggest that the ventral root afferent fibers exert a variety of physiological effects that include eliciting such spinal reflexes as the flexion reflex. The responsible fibers in the ventral root travel distally towards the dorsal root ganglion to enter the spinal cord through the dorsal root.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)353-358
    Number of pages6
    JournalNeuroscience Letters
    Volume62
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Dec 18 1985

    Keywords

    • compound action potential
    • flexion reflex unmyelinated fiber
    • single unit activity cat
    • spinal cord
    • ventral root afferent

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Neuroscience

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