Interpretation of the potential fields generated in the cerebellar cortex by a mossy fibre volley.

Abstract

1. Potential fields and unitary spikes in the cat cerebellar cortex were generated specifically by mossy fibre volleys and recorded by means of microelectrodes. The mossy fibres were excited by trans-folial (T. F.) stimulation which was compared with juxtafastigial (J.F.) stimulation. Both were conditioned by local stimuli of parallel fibres. 2. In the granular layer, an incoming mossy fibre volley evoked a small diphasic potential (P1 N1) and about 0.4 msec later a second negative wave (N2) due to the excitatory synaptic current generated by synapses of mossy fibres with granule cells and Golgi cells. In the typical configuration the N2 wave usually had a superimposed double spike potential, which is due to impulses discharged first by Golgi cells and then, about 0.5 msec later, by granule cells. 3. The transmission of impulses along the perpendicular axons of the granule cells and thence along the parallel fibres gave the fairly sharp positive potential (P2) in the granular layer, and simultaneously the negative wave (N3) in the molecular layer. The parallel fibre impulses, in turn, synaptically excited and so evoked local responses and action potentials in the dendrites of Purkinje and other cells, which aided in the production of the latter part of the N3 wave. 4. The impulses in the Purkinje cell dendrites propagate into the granular layer via the Purkinje cell somata and axons so producing the negative wave (N4) in the Purkinje and the granular layer. 5. The late and prolonged positive wave (P3) may be attributable to the deep active sources produced by postsynaptic inhibition of Purkinje cells and of granule cells by basket and Golgi cells respectively. 6. There has been good correlation between the physiological findings and the anatomical structures of the various types of cells and the synaptic connections, even to the synapses of mossy fibres on Golgi cell dendrites that have been recently described by HAmori and SzentAgothai.