Spinal interneurones involved in presynaptic controls of supraspinal origin

1. Interneurones presenting heterotopic and heterosensory convergence have been identified in laminae VI-VII of the lumbar dorsal horn in the cat. Stimulation of the hind limbs sometimes induced a bimodal response, but we considered only the late convergent discharge.2. The fact that response latencies are longer to hind limb than to forelimb stimulation at this level suggests the intervention of a supraspinal loop in the activation of spinal convergent units. This hypothesis is supported by the relationship between the excitability of supraspinal structures and the discharge intensity of convergent cells as well as by the absence of long latency responses in the spinal preparation.3. Electrophysiological and pharmacological evidence discloses a strong relationship between convergent unit discharges and the occurrence of dorsal root potentials to cortical, heterosegmental and heterosensory stimulation.4. It is suggested that convergent units receive information of supraspinal origin and exert control over sensory input to the cord via primary afferent depolarization.