Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 68, Issue 2 551-569, Copyright © 1992 by APS

ARTICLES

Nucleus centralis of the amygdala and the globus pallidus ventralis: electrophysiological evidence for an involvement in pain processes

J. F. Bernard, G. F. Huang and J. M. Besson
Unite de Recherches de Physiopharmacologie du Systeme Nerveux, INSERM U 161, Paris, France.

1. Neurons (n = 177) were recorded with extracellular micropipettes in and around the nucleus centralis of the amygdala (Ce), in anesthetized rats. The spontaneous activity of these neurons was variable (0.25 less than 3 less than 35 Hz, n = 175; 10th percentile less than median less than 90th percentile). A majority (80%) of these neurons were excited or inhibited exclusively or preferentially by noxious stimuli. These units were separated into two groups: 1) a group of neurons excited by noxious stimuli (46% of the whole population) and 2) a group of neurons inhibited by noxious stimuli (34% of the whole population). 2. The receptive fields of both groups of neurons were very large: in about one-half the cases the neurons responded similarly from all parts of the body, and in the other cases the responses were greater when the stimuli were applied to a restricted part of the body. 3. Seventy-seven percent of the excited neurons had responses of relatively high magnitudes. In this group, most cells (75%) were exclusively driven by noxious stimuli; the others (25%) were preferentially activated by noxious stimuli. These neurons responded to mechanical (pinch or squeeze) and/or thermal (water bath or water jet greater than 44 degrees C) noxious stimuli with a marked and sustained activation. 4. Sixty percent of the inhibited neurons had a marked decrease of activity in response to noxious stimuli. In this group, most of them (81%) were exclusively inhibited by noxious stimuli, whereas the remainder (19%) were preferentially inhibited by noxious stimuli. These neurons responded to mechanical (pinch or squeeze) and/or thermal (water bath or waterjet greater than 44 degrees C) noxious stimuli with a suppression or a marked and sustained decrease in activity. 5. All of the nociceptive neurons responded to intense transcutaneous electrical stimulation with one or several components of activation or inhibition. According to their latencies, three types of components were distinguished: early, intermediate, and late components. We estimate that the early and the intermediate components would be triggered by the activity of peripheral fibers in the 6- to 20-m/s range and therefore could be in the A delta fibers range, whereas the late component would be triggered by fibers in the 0.5- to 1-m/s range and therefore could be in the C fibers range. 6. The neurons excited or inhibited by noxious stimuli were not homogeneously distributed in and around the Ce.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Fichna, A. Janecka, J. Costentin, and J.-C. Do Rego The Endomorphin System and Its Evolving Neurophysiological Role Pharmacol. Rev., March 1, 2007; 59(1): 88 - 123. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Carrasquillo and R. W. Gereau IV Activation of the Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase in the Amygdala Modulates Pain Perception J. Neurosci., February 14, 2007; 27(7): 1543 - 1551. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Becerra, S. Morris, S. Bazes, R. Gostic, S. Sherman, J. Gostic, G. Pendse, E. Moulton, S. Scrivani, D. Keith, et al. Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain Alters Responses in CNS Circuits to Mechanical (Brush) and Thermal (Cold and Heat) Stimuli. J. Neurosci., October 18, 2006; 26(42): 10646 - 10657. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Belforte and J. H. Pazo Striatal Inhibition of Nociceptive Responses Evoked in Trigeminal Sensory Neurons by Tooth Pulp Stimulation J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2005; 93(3): 1730 - 1741. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Bingel, J. Glascher, C. Weiller, and C. Buchel Somatotopic Representation of Nociceptive Information in the Putamen: An Event-related fMRI Study Cereb Cortex, December 1, 2004; 14(12): 1340 - 1345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Petrovic, K. Carlsson, K. M. Petersson, P. Hansson, and M. Ingvar Context-dependent Deactivation of the Amygdala during Pain J. Cogn. Neurosci., August 1, 2004; 16(7): 1289 - 1301. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Pare, G. J. Quirk, and J. E. Ledoux New Vistas on Amygdala Networks in Conditioned Fear J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2004; 92(1): 1 - 9. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Neugebauer, W. Li, G. C. Bird, and J. S. Han The Amygdala and Persistent Pain Neuroscientist, June 1, 2004; 10(3): 221 - 234. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. Gauriau and J.-F. Bernard Posterior Triangular Thalamic Neurons Convey Nociceptive Messages to the Secondary Somatosensory and Insular Cortices in the Rat J. Neurosci., January 21, 2004; 24(3): 752 - 761. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Neugebauer and W. Li Differential Sensitization of Amygdala Neurons to Afferent Inputs in a Model of Arthritic Pain J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2003; 89(2): 716 - 727. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Neugebauer, W. Li, G. C. Bird, G. Bhave, and R. W. Gereau IV Synaptic Plasticity in the Amygdala in a Model of Arthritic Pain: Differential Roles of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors 1 and 5 J. Neurosci., January 1, 2003; 23(1): 52 - 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Neugebauer and W. Li Processing of Nociceptive Mechanical and Thermal Information in Central Amygdala Neurons With Knee-Joint Input J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2002; 87(1): 103 - 112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. H. Manning, N. M. Merin, I. D. Meng, and D. G. Amaral Reduction in Opioid- and Cannabinoid-Induced Antinociception in Rhesus Monkeys after Bilateral Lesions of the Amygdaloid Complex J. Neurosci., October 15, 2001; 21(20): 8238 - 8246. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. May, A. Bahra, C. Buchel, R. S. J. Frackowiak, and P. J. Goadsby PET and MRA findings in cluster headache and MRA in experimental pain Neurology, November 14, 2000; 55(9): 1328 - 1335. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Malick, R. M. Strassman, and R. Burstein Trigeminohypothalamic and Reticulohypothalamic Tract Neurons in the Upper Cervical Spinal Cord and Caudal Medulla of the Rat J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2000; 84(4): 2078 - 2112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Pare and D. R. Collins Neuronal Correlates of Fear in the Lateral Amygdala: Multiple Extracellular Recordings in Conscious Cats J. Neurosci., April 1, 2000; 20(7): 2701 - 2710. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Shi and M. Davis Pain Pathways Involved in Fear Conditioning Measured with Fear-Potentiated Startle: Lesion Studies J. Neurosci., January 1, 1999; 19(1): 420 - 430. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Jasmin, A. R. Burkey, J. P. Card, and A. I. Basbaum Transneuronal Labeling of a Nociceptive Pathway, the Spino-(Trigemino-)Parabrachio-Amygdaloid, in the Rat J. Neurosci., May 15, 1997; 17(10): 3751 - 3765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]