Somatosensory evoked potentials during natural and learning rearrangements of posture accompanied by limb elevation...

Changes in the functional state of the sensorimotor cortex associated with reorganization of the natural pattern of postural rearrangement before limb elevation (the "diagonal" patten and of an artificial rearrangement (the "unilateral" pattern) were studied in dogs. The state of cortical structures on postural rearrangement was assessed in terms of the pattern of somatosensory evoked potentials produced in response to stimulation of the forelimb during postural preparation of the animal for elevating the hindlimb (acquired avoidance response to a sound signal). Evoked potentials during the natural postural preparation (the "diagonal" pattern) were compared with those during the altered pattern of postural preparation (the "unilateral" pattern), this preparation taking place prior to elevation of the limb. Controls consisted of evoked potentials in the resting state. Decreases were seen in the latencies and amplitudes of most components of evoked potentials during postural rearrangement. In general, changes in evoked potentials were less marked in the "unilateral" pattern than in the "diagonal" pattern, though the differences were significant only for the amplitude of the first negative component. Changes in evoked potentials were similar regardless of whether the supporting forces of the limb to which the test stimulus was applied increased or decreased during postural rearrangement. It is suggested that differences in evoked potentials may reflect changes in the interaction between neuronal populations within the sensorimotor cortex during reorganization of the pattern of postural rearrangement associated with learning.