[Electrophysiological study of the blink reflex in Wistar rats]

The electrophysiological characteristics of the blink reflex evoked by electrical stimulation of supraorbital nerve (V1) have been studied in the awake and anaesthetized rat. This reflex has two components (R1 and R2). The first one, R1, is of short latency, strictly ipsilateral to the stimulus and exhibits all features of an oligosynaptic reflex response. The second component, R2, of longer latency, is observed bilaterally in awaked but ipsilaterally in lightly anaesthetized and totally depressed in deeply anaesthetized animals. This component possesses all characteristics of a largely multi-synaptic reflex response.