Dorsal column input to inferior raphe centralis neurons

In anesthetized decerebellate cats with additional decerebration or decortication and with one of two types of cervical spinal lesions which either eliminated the dorsal half of the spinal cord or spared the dorsal funiculi, peripheral electric and localized natural stimuli activated neurons in the inferior raphe nuclear complex. Medial lemniscal as well as direct dorsal funicular stimulation was also effective. The majority of raphe neurons activated by stimulation of the dorsal funiculi were also discharged by ventrolateral funicular stimulation.