Input from trigeminal cutaneous afferents to neurones of the inferior olive in rats

Extracellular recordings were obtained from inferior olivary neurones of the rat. The responses of fifty neurones evoked by electrical stimulation of a branch of the trigeminal nerve were recorded. Maxillary nerve stimulation was most effective. The response was characterized by an early discharge (single spike and wave, typically with latencies between 16 and 30 msec) and a weak late discharge which followed a period of inhibition of about 100 msec. Half of the neurones responded to one branch of the trigeminal nerve only whereas the other neurons displayed a varying degree of convergence, including sometimes a convergence from limb nerves. Forty-nine olivary neurones were tested for cutaneous receptive fields. Ten out of these had small receptive fields (less than 20% of the contralateral face) and a low threshold to mechanical stimuli. Twenty neurones which had larger receptive fields responded also to low-threshold or to medium-threshold (i.e. non-nociceptive) mechanical stimuli. None of the neurones displayed receptive fields more extensive than half of the contralateral face and some of the larger fields had a small, low-threshold focus. Olivary neurones responding to electrical stimulation of trigeminal nerves or mechanical stimulation of the face were located in the medial segment of the olivary complex (dorsal accessory and principal olive). A few cells only were located in the lateral segment. It is concluded that neurones of the inferior olive receive a substantial input from trigeminal afferents and are capable of transmitting precise somatotopical information to the cerebellum.