CONVERGENCE AND INTERACTION OF AFFERENT IMPULSES ON SINGLE UNITS OF RETICULAR FORMATION

Abstract

Spike discharge patterns of individual bulbar and mesencephalic reticular cell units were led with microelectrodes in 161 cats and recorded on cathode ray tube faces. Data indicate that (1) convergence of afferent impulses on reticular units is widespread but not unlimited; (2)" patterns of convergence vary markedly among individual units; (3) individual afferent systems show great variability in the extent to which connections with reticular units are effected; and (4) it seems justified to consider portions of reticular formation examined in this study as being composed of groups of functionally distinguishable fractions, each consisting of those cells whose synaptic scale includes terminals from the same afferent modality.