A comparison of the inhibitory actions of Golgi cells and of basket cells.

Abstract

1. There has been a comparative study of two kinds of inhibition in the cerebellar cortex: basket cell inhibition of Purkinje cells; and Golgi cell inhibition of granule cells. These inhibitory actions were assayed by the degree of inhibition of the potential waves that juxta-fastigial (J.F.) stimulation evoked in the granular or molecular layers: basket cell inhibition by the N1 wave generated by antidromic invasion of Purkinje cells; and Golgi cell inhibition of the N3 or P2 waves evoked by the mossy fibre volley in the molecular and granular layers respectively. 2. The Golgi cell inhibition produced by a parallel fibre volley (LOC stimulation) extended transversely for no more than 200 μ on either side of the narrow beam of the excited parallel fibres, whereas the spread of basket cell inhibition was much larger — to as far as 1 mm. 3. When activated by the on-beam LOC stimulation, the Golgi cell and the basket cell inhibition showed much the same threshold of the stimulation. The off-beam LOC stimulation produced only the basket cell inhibition which is in conformity with the different transverse distributions described in (2) above. 4. When evoked by J. F. or trans-folial (T. F.) stimulation, the Golgi cell inhibition had a much lower threshold than the basket cell inhibition. It is suggested that in part at least this is attributable to the direct synaptic connection from mossy fibres to Golgi cells. 5. The Golgi cell inhibition elicited by the LOC stimulation showed a relatively short time course, the maximum being attained by about 10 msec, after which there was an approximately exponential decrease so that the total duration was only about 100 msec. On the other hand, the basket cell inhibition had a much slower time course, maximum being attained at a latency of 20 to 40 msec, the total duration being even in excess of 200 msec. Suggestions are made with respect to the factors responsible for the slow time course of the basket cell inhibition.