Effects of stimulus intensity, cervical cord tractotomies and cerebellectomy on somatosensory evoked potentials from skin and muscle afferents of cat hind limb

The somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) recorded from the sensory cortex were investigated by using graded stimulation of skin and muscle nerves from contralateral hind limb in the cat. Sections were made of the middle cervical cord to assess the pathways involved in mediating SEPs evoked by large and small diameter fibres. Dorsal column (DC) section caused a decrease of SEPs from skin group I afferents, and a small increase in those from group I muscle afferents. A subsequent section of dorso-lateral fasciculus (DLF) further decreased SEPs from skin and eliminated SEPs from muscle, evoked at low stimulus intensity. When the stimulus recruited group III fibres, SEPs were still present after DC and DLF section, both from skin and muscle nerves. Section of ALT in addition to DC confirmed a major role played by DLF (mainly spino-cervical tract of Morin) in transmitting impulses from muscle afferents; the role of DLF in mediating potentials evoked from skin is less remarkable than that of DC. Cerebellectomy did not change any SEP, however evoked. Previous results in the literature are discussed, taking into account the methodologies employed by various authors, and the possible interactions among pathways mediating SEPs.