Direct excitatory interactions between spinal motoneurones of the cat.

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Abstract
Spinal motoneurons (97) were identified by their antidromic invasion following stimulation of the muscle nerve and submitted to a series of 4 tests to reveal a possible direct excitation between motoneurons. Threshold differentiation, refractoriness, hyperpolarization and collision revealed antidromically induced depolarizations in 14 of 97 motoneurons. The parameters of the antidromically induced depolarizations indicated a short latency, a low amplitude and independence with regard to the membrane polarization. The antidromically induced depolarizations apparently reached the impaled motoneuron via a route other than its own axon. The mechanism may involve either electrotonic interactions between neighboring motoneurons or excitatory recurrent collaterals between synergist motoneurons.