Neocerebellar control of the motor activity: experimental analysis in the rat. Comparative aspects

Abstract

The results collected by electrical microstimulation of the nucleus lateralis of the cerebellum in anaesthetized rats may be summarized as follows. The stimulations evoked motor effects in head and forelimb principally whereas hindlimb was only occasionally involved. The movements were prevalently segregated to only one joint (simple movements), in a lesser degree they involved two or three segments (complex movements). Simple and complex movements were apparently distributed in the nuclear mass without topographical segregation or preferentiality. The electromyographic records suggest that the neocerebellar movements are of synergistic nature. A somatotopical organization was evidenced within the nucleus lateralis: 3 specific functional regions were identified in the caudorostral nuclear extension. They concern the forelimb (caudally), head (centrally) and hindlimb (rostrally). This somatotopical organization persisted unmodified following elimination of either the cerebral motor cortex alone or in addition to that of the red nucleus. The nuclear subdivisions of the cerebellar nucleus lateralis showed functional differences:(1) the dorsolateral hump of Goodman et al. 15 was principally involved in lip movements; (2) the subnucleus lateralis parvocellularis elicited movements of single vibrissae, neck and medio-distal segments of the forelimb, prevalently; (3) the magnocellular subdivision essentially controlled both limbs with large prevalence for their medio-proximal segments. To identify the functional role of the different descending pathways which relay the neocerebellum to the cord, the motor effects evoked in intact rats were compared with those elicited in rats submitted to cortical ablation and/or to lesion of the red nucleus region. The integrity of the cerebral cortex was essential only for distalmost forelimb motor activities. After lesion of the rubral region (which concomitantly eliminates corticospinal output), the stimulation of the nucleus lateralis evoked motor effects of the proximo-axial segments prevalently with intensity thresholds increased above two-fold those obtained in intact/decorticated rats. The movements elicited in rats with injury of the red nucleus region, including the ascending fibers of the brachium conjunctivum, are presumably mediated to the spinal cord through the reticulospinal pathway. The proportion of simple and complex movements decreased and increased respectively after cortical ablation and further on after injury of the red nucleus region. The discussion on the motor effects elicited in rats by the neocerebellum focussed on the possible role of 3 descending pathways. The neocerebello-reticulospinal pathway would be involved in the control of the axio-proximal segments, presumably of postural significance; the neocerebello-rubrospinal pathway may trigger the motor effects elicited by the stimulation of the neocerebellum, with a prevalent control of the head and of the medio-distal forelimb segments; and finally the neocerebello-corticospinal pathway would be involved in the control of the distalmost forelimb segments (digits). Moreover it would also be involved in the control of the subcortical pathways relaying the neocerebellum to the cord. A comparison with the literature in monkey indicates similarities in the dependence of fine distal forelimb motor activity to corticospinal output. However, whereas in primates this function is conditioned by a cerebellar control from neo-dentatum, we have seen that in rat, functional segregation between paleo- and neo-dentatum is not clearly achieved.