Excitatory actions of single impulses in single hair follicle afferent fibres on spinocervical tract neurones in the cat.

1. In cats under chloralose anaesthesia single dorsal root ganglion cells with axons innervating hair follicles were stimulated intracellularly to produce single impulses. At the same time single spinocervical tract (s.c.t.) neurones were recorded extracellularly, from their axons in the upper lumbar cord. 2. When the receptive field of the afferent fibre was contained within the impulse firing zone of the s.c.t. cell, a single afferent impulse increased the probability of firing of the neurone. In thirty-nine pairs of units, where the afferent fibre had a group II conduction velocity, coupling was very efficient and for seventeen pairs the single afferent impulse produced one or more impulses in the s.c.t. cell in at least 90% of trials. The mean number of impulses evoked in s.c.t. cells by a single group II afferent impulse was 1.47. The latencies of the impulses ranged from 1.5 to 14.0 ms, with times to peak and total durations of 2.5-17.5 ms and 4.5-28.0 ms respectively. For two pairs of units where the afferent fibre had a group III conduction velocity the effectiveness of single afferent impulses was much less and the latencies, but not the durations, of the impulses were longer (12 and 17 ms). 3. When the receptive field of the hair follicle afferent fibre was outside, but close to, the firing zone of the s.c.t. neurone there was no indication that single afferent impulses affected the probability of neuronal discharge for thirteen of fifteen pairs of units. Weak excitation was observed in two pairs and this was clear only when two or more afferent impulses were employed. 4. There was a tendency for hair follicle afferent fibres with their receptive fields at or near the centre of the s.c.t. cell's firing zone to be most effective, producing shorter latency responses with more impulses at higher frequencies. When the afferent's field was peripherally located in the s.c.t. neurone's firing zone there was a wide range of responses but these included those with the longest latencies and very few impulses. 5. The results are discussed with reference to previous work on the spinocervical tract and to the known actions of single impulses on other neuronal types. Suggestions are made for the possible excitatory neuronal circuits linking hair follicle afferent fibres to the s.c.t. neurones.