Abstract
It is a particular privilege to join in this symposium honoring Yngve Zotterman. His gracious hospitality and enthusiasm for science was an inspiration to me as to so many others. My invitation asked for an overview for the presentations to follow in this session, a rather difficult task because of the scope of the topics involved. I have chosen instead to offer a theory about a feature of the organization of the somatosensory system that touches on the several topics, with the realization that while speculation in science is a precarious game, it would have pleased Yngve Zotterman; he loved to practice it.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anderson, S.A., Landgren, S., Wolsk, D., (1966). The thalamic relay and cortical projection of group I muscle afferents from the forelimb of the cat. J. Physiol., Lond., 183, 576–591
Angaut-Petit, D. (1975a). The dorsal column system: I. Existence of long ascending postsynaptic fibres in the cat’s fasciculus gracilis. Expl. Brain Res., 22, 457–470
Angaut-Petit, D. (1975b). The dorsal column system: II. Functional properties and bulbar relay of the postsynaptic fibres of the cat’s fasciculus gracilis. Expl. Brain Res., 22, 471–493
Bessou, P., Perl, E.R., (1969). Response of cutaneous sensory units with unmyelinated fibers to noxious stimuli. J. Neurophysiol., 32, 1025–1043
Boivie, J.J.G., Perl, E.R. (1975). Neural substrates of somatic sensation. In Neurophysiology I. (ed. C.C. Hunt ). University Park, Baltimore
Brown, A.G. (1973). Ascending and long spinal pathways: dorsal columns, spinocervical tract and spinothalamic tract. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology. Somatosensory System. (ed. A. Iggo). Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Brown, A.G. (1981). Organization in the Spinal Cord. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Brown, A.G., Hamann, W.C., Martin, H.F., III. (1975). Effects of activity in non-myelinated afferent fibres on the spinocervical tract. Brain Res., 98, 243–259
Brown, A.G., Iggo, A. (1967). A quantitative study of cutaneous receptors and afferent fibres in the cat and rabbit. J. Physiol., Land., 193, 707–733
Burgess, P.R., Perl, E.R., (1973). Cutaneous mechanoreceptors and nociceptors. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology. Somatosensory System. (ed. A. Iggo). Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Chung, J.M., Kenshalo, D.R., Jr., Gerhart, K.D., Willis, W.D. (1979). Excitation of primate spinothalamic neurons by cutaneous C-fiber volleys. J. Neurophysiol., 42, 1354–1369
Frey, M. von. (1897). Beiträge zur Sinnesphysiologie der Haut (Part IV). Koenig1. Saechs. Ges. Wiss., Math.-Phys. Klasse, 49, 462–468
Guilbaud, G. (1983). Organization of noxious and non-noxious inputs in SmI cortex: comparison in normal and in arthritic rats. Presentation at symposium on Somatosensory Mechanisms held at Stockholm, Sweden, June 8–10, 1983. Published in this volume
Honda, C.N., Mense, S., Perl, E.R. (1983). Neurons in ventrobasal region of cat thalamus selectively responsive to noxious mechanical stimulation. J. Neurophysiol., 49, 662–673
Iggo, A. (1980). Presentation at Satellite Symposium of the International Congress of Physiological Sciences held at Keszthely, Hungary, July 9–12, 1980
Kenshalo, D.R., Jr., Leonard, R.B., Chung, J.M., Willis, W.D. (1979). Responses of primate spinothalamic neurons to graded and to repeated noxious stimuli. J. Neurophysiol., 42, 1370–1389
Kenshalo, D.R., Jr., Giesler, G.J., Jr., Leonard, R.B., Willis, W.D. (1980). Responses of neurons in primate ventral posterior lateral nucleus to noxious stimuli. J. Neurophysiol., 43, 1594–1614
Kenshalo, D.R., Jr., Isensee, O., (1983). Effects of noxious stimuli on primate SI cortical neurons. In Advances in Pain Research and Therapy. (eds. J.J. Bonica, U. Lindblom, A. Iggo,). Raven Press, New York
Kniffki, K.-D., Mizumura, K., (1983). Responses of neurons in VPL and VPL-VL region of the cat to algesic stimulation of muscle and tendon. J. Neurophysiol., 49, 649–661
Kumazawa, T., Perl, E.R., Burgess, P.R., Whitehorn, D. (1975). Ascending projections from marginal zone (lamina I) neurons of the spinal dorsal horn. J. Comp. Neural., 162, 1–11
Lundberg, A., Oscarsson, O., (1962). Two ascending spinal pathways in the ventral part of the cord. Acta physiol. scand., 54, 270–286
Magoun, H.W., Rhines, R. (1947). Spasticity - The Strength Reflex and Extra-Pyramidal Systems. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Ill
Mayer, D.J., Price, D.D., Becker, D.P. (1975). Neurophysiological characterization of the anterolateral spinal cord neurons contributing to pain perception in man. Pain, 1, 51–58
Melzack, R., Wall, P.D. (1962). On the nature of cutaneous sensory mechanisms. Brain, 85, 331–356
Müller, J., (1840). Handbuch der Physiologie des Menschen. J. Hölscher, Coblenz
Müller, J., (1842). Elements of Physiology. Taylor and Walton, London
Perl, E.R., Whitlock, D.G., Gentry, J.R., (1961). Cutaneous projection to second-order neurons of the dorsal column system. J. Neurophysiol., 25, 337–358
Poggio, G.F., Mountcastle, V.B., (1960). A study of the functional contributions of the lemniscal and spinothalamic systems to somatic sensibility. Bull. Johns Hopkins Hosp., 106, 266–316
Poggio, G.F., Mountcastle, V.B. (1963). The functional properties of ventrobasal thalamic neurons studied in unanesthetized monkeys. J. Neurophysiol., 26, 775–806
Rastad, J., Jankowska, E., Westman, J. (1977). Arborization of initial axon collaterals of spinocervical tract cells stained intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase. Brain Res., 135, 1–10
Rose, J.E., Mountcastle, V.B., (1959). Touch and kinesthesia. In Handbook of Physiology, Section 1 - Neurophysiology, v. 1. (eds. J. Field, H.W. Magoun ). American Physiological Society, Washington, D.C
Rustioni, A. (1973). Non-primary afferents to the nucleus gracilis from the lumbar cord of the cat. Brain Res., 51, 81–95
Sinclair, D.C. (1955). Cutaneous sensation and the doctrine of specific energy. Brain, 78, 584–614
Trevino, D.L., Coulter, J.D., Willis, W.D. (1973). Location of cells of origin of spinothalamic tract in lumbar enlargement of the monkey. J. Neurophysiol., 36, 750–761
Uddenberg, N. (1968). Functional organization of long, secondorder afferents in the dorsal funiculus. Expl. Brain Res., 4, 377–382
Willis, W.D. (1982). Control of nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord. In Progress in Sensory Physiology 3. (ed. D. Ottoson). Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Witt, I., Hensel, H. (1959). Afferente Impulse aus der Extremitätenhaut der Katze bei thermischer and mechanischer Reizung. Pflügers Arch, ges. Physiol., 268, 582–596
Zotterman, Y. (1939). Touch, pain and tickling: An electrophysiological investigation on cutaneous sensory nerves. J. Physiol., Lond., 95, 1–28
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1984 The Wenner-Gren Center
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Perl, E.R. (1984). Why are Selectively Responsive and Multireceptive Neurons Both Present in Somatosensory Pathways?. In: von Euler, C., Franzén, O., Lindblom, U., Ottoson, D. (eds) Somatosensory Mechanisms. Wenner-Gren Center International Symposium Series, vol 12. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2807-0_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2807-0_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9728-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2807-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive