[Typology of the cells of the bulbopontine reticular formation]

The network analysis methods have been applied to study the neurons of the medial bulbo pontine reticular formation in the cat. The bifurcation ratio allows isolation of two different cellular patterns: collateral branched cells or CB type, and at random pendant vertices dichotomously branched cells or DA type. The morphologic features of CB cells lead to the assumption that these cells have an integrative function. The topographic distribution of the two cells types seems to vary in the different parts of the reticular formation and should argue for the fact that the reticular formation represents an aggregation of several discrete anatomical units.