HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) supplemental data All Versions of this Article: 96/4/1691    most recent 00454.2006v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (8) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Castro-Alamancos, M. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Castro-Alamancos, M. A.

Vibrissa Myoclonus (Rhythmic Retractions) Driven by Resonance of Excitatory Networks in Motor Cortex

Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Submitted 30 April 2006; accepted in final form 21 June 2006

Rodents use rhythmic vibrissae movements to sense the environment. It is currently unclear whether intrinsic activity in the vibrissa motor cortex (vMI) is capable of driving vibrissa movements on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Disinhibition of vMI results in the occurrence of spontaneous 5- to 15-Hz synchronized oscillations. In behaving rats, this synchronous resonance of vMI is shown here to drive contralateral vibrissa movements that are phase-locked to each cycle of the oscillation. In contrast to active whisking during sensing, which consists of active protractions, the vibrissa movements produced by vMI oscillations consisted of rhythmic retractions. The results demonstrate that rhythmic motor cortex output is capable of driving vibrissa movements on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Such motor output may be primarily expressed during abnormal states such as those related to cortical myoclonous, tremors, and cortical seizures.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. H. Higgs and W. J. Spain Conditional Bursting Enhances Resonant Firing in Neocortical Layer 2-3 Pyramidal Neurons J. Neurosci., February 4, 2009; 29(5): 1285 - 1299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Chakrabarti, M. Zhang, and K. D. Alloway MI Neuronal Responses to Peripheral Whisker Stimulation: Relationship to Neuronal Activity in SI Barrels and Septa J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2008; 100(1): 50 - 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. N. Hill, R. Bermejo, H. P. Zeigler, and D. Kleinfeld Biomechanics of the Vibrissa Motor Plant in Rat: Rhythmic Whisking Consists of Triphasic Neuromuscular Activity J. Neurosci., March 26, 2008; 28(13): 3438 - 3455. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. L. Ramos and V. Khatri Motor cortical network oscillations driven by voltage- and ligand-gated currents J. Physiol., May 1, 2007; 580(3): 701 - 702. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. P. Cramer, Y. Li, and A. Keller The Whisking Rhythm Generator: A Novel Mammalian Network for the Generation of Movement J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2007; 97(3): 2148 - 2158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Castro-Alamancos What Generates Whisking? Focus on: "The Whisking Rhythm Generator: A Novel Mammalian Network for the Generation of Movement" J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2007; 97(3): 1883 - 1884. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Castro-Alamancos, P. Rigas, and Y. Tawara-Hirata Resonance (~10 Hz) of excitatory networks in motor cortex: effects of voltage-dependent ion channel blockers J. Physiol., January 1, 2007; 578(1): 173 - 191. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]