[Role of the median forebrain bundle in organizing the electrical activity of the neocortex]

Bilateral coagulation of the forebrain medial bundle in the lateral hypothalamus enhances the formation of spontaneous spindles and facilitates the recruiting response in the neocortex. This combines with a defect of desynchronizing influences of the posterior hypothalamus and the concurrent dominance of synchronizing effects of the preoptic area (PA). PA stimulation enhances the slow wave and spindle activity in the ECoG of the intact brain. After disruption of PA connections with the bulbar synchronizing apparatus the stimulation effect is manifested only in enhanced spindle activity. It is assumed that in addition to hypnogenic influences which PA shares with the parasolitary apparatus, it maintains a definite level of cortical reactivity after the onset of sleep. Elimination of the orbito-frontal cortex, as well as PA coagulation, does not prevent the appearance of spindles in the ECoG of the preparation with an intersected medial bundle, only limiting them to some extent.