Recurrent inhibition of interneurones monosynaptically activated from group Ia afferents

Abstract

1. Interneurones monosynaptically excited from large muscle spindle (Ia) afferents and inhibited from motor axon collaterals were searched for in the lumbar spinal cord of the cat. 2. Monosynaptic Ia excitation was found in sixty‐seven of sixty‐nine interneurones inhibited by antidromic volleys. These interneurones were excited from Ia afferents from one or a few muscles (mainly close synergists). Volleys in high threshold muscle and skin afferents (FRA) evoked polysynaptic excitation or inhibition. Weak inhibition from Ia afferents (from antagonists to those giving Ia excitation) was seen in a few cells. Monosynaptic excitation was evoked from the ventral quadrant of the spinal cord and polysynaptic excitation from the dorsal quadrant. 3. Inhibition from motor axon collaterals was evoked with a latency (1·2–2·0 msec) suggesting a disynaptic linkage and had the same time course as in motoneurones. It prevented synaptic activation of 60% of interneurones and decreased the firing index and delayed generation of spikes in the remaining. 4. The interneurones with convergence of monosynaptic Ia excitation and inhibition from motor axon collaterals were found in the ventral horn dorsomedial to motor nuclei. No inhibition by antidromic volleys could be detected in interneurones located in intermediate nucleus and activated monosynaptically from Ia, Ib, group I or cutaneous afferents. 5. It was concluded that the ventral Ia interneurones inhibited by volleys in recurrent motor axon collaterals mediate the reciprocal Ia inhibition to motoneurones.