Neurones in the cervical enlargement of the cat spinal cord antidromically activated from sacral segments and the inferior cerebellar peduncle

The electrophysiological investigation of neurones located in the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord was performed in eight-chloralose anaesthetized cats. Neurones were recorded intracellularly or extracellularly and identified by antidromic stimulation. The main purpose of the study was to test whether these neurones give off collateral branches ascending to the inferior cerebellar peduncle and descending to the sacral segments (S1/S2). Recordings were made from 78 neurones located in medial and central parts of Rexed's laminae VII and VIII of C6/C7 segments. Four subpopulations could be distinguished from their patterns of propriospinal or supraspinal projections: (a) ascending/descending neurones with axons ascending to RB and descending to S1/S2 (23%); (b) ascending/descending neurones projecting to RB and the level of Th13 (14%); (c) propriospinal neurones descending to Th13 (15%); (d) propriospinal neurones descending to S1/S2 (48%). Within these groups, ipsilateral, contralateral and bilateral descending projections were observed. The mean axonal conduction velocities for descending and ascending collaterals of bidirectional neurones were 59 and 39 m/s, respectively. Results suggest that parallel transmission of information to supraspinal and spinal centres plays an important role in the process of movement coordination.