Integration in descending motor pathways controlling the forelimb in the cat. 14. Differential projection to fast and slow motoneurones from excitatory C3-C4 propriospinal neurones.

The projection of C3-C4 propriospinal neurones (PNs) to alpha-motoneurones of forelimb muscles has been analysed with the aid of antidromic stimulation of the ascending branch of the PNs to the lateral reticular nucleus (LRN). A single stimulus of 500 microA applied in the caudo-dorsal part of the LRN evoked a maximal or greater than 90% maximal monosynaptic EPSP in the motoneurones. Systematic mapping of EPSPs evoked by stimulation of 500 microA in and around the LRN revealed that at this strength there was hardly any co-activation of a medial system (Peterson et al. 1979) which evoked small monosynaptic EPSPs with shorter latency and faster time course. The LRN EPSP amplitude was positively correlated with the homonymous group Ia EPSP amplitude, the input resistance and the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) duration. It is therefore postulated that the LRN EPSP amplitude is correlated with motor unit type (Burke 1967, 1968; Burke et al. 1973) with the largest EPSPs in slow (S), the smallest in fast, fatiguable (FF) and possibly intermediate sized in fast, fatigue resistant (FR) units. There was only a small difference in latency of the LRN EPSP in fast and slow motoneurones, while the time course was considerably slower in the latter. It is suggested that slow motoneurones receive projection both from fast and slowly conducting PNs but fast motoneurones mainly from fast PNs. Comparison of the disynaptic pyramidal EPSPs and the LRN EPSPs revealed a positive correlation, but the amplitude ratio pyramidal EPSP: LRN EPSP was smaller in slow than in fast motoneurones. A negative correlation was found between this amplitude ratio and the latency of the disynaptic pyramidal EPSP. It is suggested that this correlation reflects the excitability level in the PNs and that low excitability is due to inhibition of the PNs.