Response properties and morphological identification of neurons in the cat motor cortex

Intracellular recordings and morphological identification of neurons using intracellular HRP staining were performed in the cat motor cortex. By thalamic ventrolateral (VL) or cerebellar nucleus stimulation, pyramidal cells in layer III, fast pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) and stellate cells in layers II and III were activated with short latency and fast rising EPSPs, while pyramidal cells in layer II and slow PTNs showed longer latency and slow rising EPSPs. This difference may be related to activation through the deep and superficial thalamocortical projections. Although pyramidal cells in layer VI did not respond orthodromically to VL or cerebellar stimulation, some of them proved to receive the recurrent action of PTNs because of the response to stimulation of the cerebral peduncle (CP). One aspinous stellate cell in layer III was activated by CP as well as VL stimulation. This cell was supposed to be an inhibitory interneuron responsible for both recurrent and VL-evoked inhibition.