Descending projections to the cervical spinal cord in the developing kitten

The distribution of neurons filled by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase from the cervical enlargement is described in kittens prior to and following the time of appearance of mature alpha-motoneuron responses to motor cortical stimulation (at 107-111 days gestational age; about 41 days postnatally). Cortex and brainstem reconstructions of the distributions of filled neurons demonstrate a well-defined, discrete projection from cortical area 4 to spinal cord segments C3 to C8, both in mature and immature (20 and 24 days postnatal) animals. In addition, appropriate rubrospinal, reticulospinal and vestibulospinal projections were present at all ages studied.