EXTRACELLULAR POTENTIAL FIELDS OF SINGLE SPINAL MOTONEURONS

Abstract

The extracellular potential fields occurring about single antidromically activated cat spinal motoneurons have been recorded. Closely spaced pairs of ventral root shocks reveal that the antidromic spike may be resolved into an A component and a B component. The fields of these 2 components have been compared. Combined with the results of other studies, the results indicate that the A generator is probably located in the initial segment or axon hillock of the motoneurons and the B generator is probably located in the cell soma and possibly the bases of the dendrites. No evidence was found for active, extensive spike invasion of the dendrites.