After-effects of repetitive stimulation in spinal neurons

Abstract

Spontaneous activity of interneurons before and after repetitive stimulation at 0.1–0.5/sec was recorded in acute experiments on spinal cats and kittens. Using the dynamic selective correlation method a search was made for areas of spontaneous activity with the same distribution of action potentials in time as in the averaged evoked response to a single stimulus. In the case of some neurons portions of the background which correlate reliably in structure with the evoked response repeated at an interval equal to or a multiple of the interval of stimulation. Reproduction of the rhythm of stimulation in the spontaneous activity is intensified with an increase in the total duration of preceding stimulation with the same input and shows positive correlation with the degree of posttetanic potentiation. The facts obtained are evidence of prolonged after-processes in spinal neurons.