The nature of afferents from the large dorsal neck muscles that project to the superior colliculus in the cat.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A 3.5-5 mm passive stretch of dorsal neck muscles at velocities of 50 mm/s, a stimulus adequate to excite most neck muscle spindles, was usually ineffective in eliciting unit discharge in the superior colliculus. The sudden release of muscle tension was effective and excited 57 of 67 units tested. When electrical stimulation of neck muscle nerves was used, a stimulus strength sufficient to excite Group III muscle afferents was usually required to elicit unit discharge in the superior colliculus. The projection from neck muscles to the superior colliculus largely takes origin in Group III afferents whose function remains to be determined. Some contribution to the projection to the superior colliculus from proprioceptive afferents severed by larger fibers cannot be ruled out.