[Spinal origin of the rhythmic activities induced by harmaline in the lateral reticular nucleus]

Extracellular unit recordings were performed in the lateral reticular nucleus of Cats under tremorogenic doses of harmaline. The 8-12 Hz rhythmic activity induced by the drug in the reticular neurons was suppressed by a total spinal transection. Under harmaline, the lateral reticular nucleus also increased its radioautographic marking with 14C-2-deoxyglucose, indicating an increased average frequency of discharges of the neurons. Such labelling was also suppressed by spinal cord transection. This data indicates that both the rhythmic activity and increased radioautographic marking under harmaline are elicited through spinoreticular neurons.