[Activity of neurons of the motor cortex of the cat during inhibition of a postural change conditioned reflex].

Spike reactions were recorded from motor cortex neurons in cats in the forelimb projection area during external and internal inhibition of the conditioned postural adjustment (transfer of the body weight) of the same limb. Spike responses evoked by external stimulation were of the same character as the responses during conditioned stimulation. As a rule, they were determined by the state of the animal and its habituation to the applied stimulus. Duration of the responses during external stimulation was shorter in trained cats than in untrained ones. Late after-discharges of units and associated conditioned movements disappeared simultaneously during external and internal inhibition. Sometimes the external stimuli were able to depress after-discharges even when the conditioned movements appeared. External stimuli of various modalities inhibited the reflex in different manners. The changes of spike reactions during conditioned posture adjustment resembled those during well learned local conditioned events.