Presynaptic and post‐synaptic inhibition elicited in the cat's dorsal column nuclei by mechanical stimulation of skin

Abstract

1. Primary afferent depolarization (PAD), with a time course comparable with that of the PAD following limb nerve stimulation, was produced in the cuneate nucleus by mechanical stimulation of the skin of the ipsilateral forepaw. Brushing or blowing on hairs was as effective as any other form of stimulation and there was a rapid adaptation to a sustained stimulus. Up to 55% increase in excitability was produced by blowing on hairs.