Medial forebrain bundle projections to the nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca

The electrophysiological characteristics of the medical forebrain bundle (MFB) projections to the nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca (nDBB) were studied in acutely prepared cats. MFB stimulation evoked field potentials which consisted of a large negative wave followed by a shallow positivity. Extracellular unitary discharges appeared out of the negativity. In addition, intracellularly recorded EPSPs showed no significant shift in the latency to onset with changes in stimulus intensity. These observations indicate that at least some of the MFB projections to the nDBB are excitatory with respect to their target cells.