ACTION POTENTIALS OF CEREBELLAR CORTEX IN RESPONSE TO LOCAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION

Abstract

Single folia of the anterior lobe of decerebrate cats were prepd. by dissection of more superficial folia. Electrical stimulation at or near the surface of the folium by bipolar needle electrodes insulated except at their tips resulted in the activation of elements thought to be the molecular fibers. These conduct in a lateral direction at a rate of 0.35-0.5 m./sec. and to a distance usually not exceeding 5 mm. They, in turn, are capable of synaptically affecting the Purkinje cells. Purkinje cells exhibit a negative potential in or near their dendritic processes, whose duration is from 5 to 25 msec. This potential may or may not be associated with an axon spike in the Purkinje cell fiber. Evidence is obtained which leads to the belief that the synaptic delay for this Purkinje cell potential is of the order of 1 msec.