Pathways for orofacial pain sensation in the trigeminal brain-stem nuclear complex of the Macaque monkey

Abstract

✓ Eleven Macaque monkeys underwent a variety of lesions in the trigeminal afferent system; namely, tractotomy, rhizotomy, and radiofrequency destruction of various components of the bulbospinal trigeminal nuclear complex. Behavioral responses were evaluated before and after the lesions using a quantitative paradigm which measured lever-pressing in response to electrical stimulation of the dental pulp or facial skin, and by assessing adversive responses to facial cutaneous and intraoral pin-scratch. Thresholds for lever-pressing in response to cutaneous facial stimulation were elevated by tractotomy, elevated further by a combination of tractotomy and rhizotomy of the seventh, ninth, and 10th cranial nerves and cervical dorsal roots C1–3, and maximally elevated by complete radiofrequency destruction of the trigeminal nucleus caudalis. These lesions also abolished adversive responses to cutaneous facial pin-scratch. None of these lesion combinations, however, altered lever-pressing responses to dental pulp ...