THALAMIC LOCI OF ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY INITIATED BY AFFERENT IMPULSES IN CAT

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Abstract
Responses in the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus evoked by electrical or mechanical stimulation of any afferent pathway from hind-limb, fore-limb, or face are relatively poorly localized in the nucleus. Evidence for the relative absence of thalamic localization derives from 2 sources: (1) At a given locus in the nucleus responses are evoked by stimulation of several nerves, or by tactile stimulation of different skin areas, epsilateral as well as contralateral. (2) Thalamic activity evoked via one afferent pathway interacts with activity evoked from another source. Localizability of peripheral sensory stimuli therefore cannot depend upon strict somatotopic localization in the thalamic way station but must be considered as a property of higher centers.