[The comparative characteristics of the neuronal responses of the rat somatic cortex during active and passive movements of the vibrissae].

Responses of rat barrel-field cortex neurons were recorded during vibrissae deflection, voluntary movements of whiskers and vibrissae movements produced by stimulation of the motor cortex and facial muscles. Changes in the patterns of responses of the three groups of neurons were revealed during the performance of active vibrissae movements: neurons with short-latency responses, neurons with long-latency responses and neurons with changes in the activity occurred early before the movements onset. It is suggested that somatosensory cortical neurons receive peripheral (from the whiskers' follicles and facial muscles) as well as central (from the motor cortex) inputs that modulate their activity.