Phrenic nerve inputs to upper cervical (C1-C3) spinothalamic tract neurons in monkeys

Afferent input from the phrenic nerve enters mid-cervical spinal segments, and previous results in monkeys show that mid-cervical spinothalamic (STT) neurons are activated by groups II and III phrenic afferent input arising from the diaphragm. In rats, dorsal horn neurons in C1-C2 segments receive phrenic input stimulated above the heart, but are not activated by phrenic input arising from diaphragm or abdomen. It is not known if this differential organization occurs in primate STT neurons. We hypothesized that high cervical STT neurons in monkeys also would be preferentially activated by phrenic inputs from thoracic structures, such as the pericardium. We examined extracellular discharge rate of C1-C3 STT neurons for responses to electrical stimulation of phrenic nerve fibers. Responses to stimulation of ipsilateral phrenic fibers above the heart were compared to effects of input stimulated below the heart and also to effects of contralateral phrenic input. We concluded that upper cervical STT neurons are most strongly excited by ipsilateral input from small diameter phrenic fibers arising from thoracic structures, but that group III and IV input from diaphragmatic fibers as well as input from contralateral phrenic fibers have a lesser effect on C1-C3 STT neurons and thus might be involved in nociceptive processing.