[The effect of sectioning the lingual nerve on the morphometric characteristics of the reticular nuclei in the brain stem in the kitten].

Three subpopulations of Golgi-stained neurons of the brainstem reticular nuclei have been studied by the method of computer morphometry in 30-day old kittens. 23 parameter of the neuronal geometry were analyzed after uni-and bilateral lingual nerve section 5-7 days after birth. All of cells display statistically valid changes in some parameters, typically differing in every group: for reticular neurons--free distribution of dendrite endings in the dendritic field; for arborescent ones--the length of dendritic segments; for giant multipolar neurons--distribution of foci of maximal dendrite branching in the dendritic field. Unilateral lingual nerve section gives more pronounced quantitative deviations from the normal state, than bilateral one.