Summary
A sequence of three evoked potentials was recorded on the paramedian lobule of the cat cerebellum following single shock stimulation of the intermediate portion of the ipsilateral anterior lobe. The second and third responses have been analysed using micro-electrode recording techniques and each was shown to reflect near-synchronous climbing fibre activation of many Purkinje cells in the paramedian lobule. The first response has not been fully studied but did not involve the climbing fibres.
The first climbing fibre evoked potential was constant in amplitude and latency and able to follow at stimulation frequencies as high as 350/sec. It was scarcely affected by section of the ipsilateral cerebellar peduncles. The second was very variable in amplitude, never followed at frequencies greater than c. 10/sec and was completely abolished by pedunculotomy. Intracellular recordings from Purkinje cells showed that the first climbing fibre response was associated with a single excitatory post-synaptic potential but the second with excitatory post-synaptic potentials which were usually multiple.
The above characteristics, together with the results of impulse collision experiments, have been satisfactorily accounted for by postulating that the climbing fibre afferents branch widely after entering the cerebellum. The earlier response arose as a result of axon reflexes and the later response as a result of orthodromic impulses generated by the cells of origin of the fibres. Evidence is presented which suggests that some at least of these cells were situated in the inferior olive.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armstrong, D.M., Harvey, R.J.: Responses in the inferior olive to stimulation of the cerebellar and cerebral cortices in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 187, 553–574 (1966).
—: Responses of a spino-olivo-cerebellar pathway in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 194, 147–168 (1968).
—, Schild, R.F.: Branching of individual olivo-cerebellar axons to terminate in more than one subdivision of the feline cerebellar cortex. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 202, 106–108P (1969).
—: Distribution in the anterior lobe of the cerebellum of branches from climbing fibres to the paramedian lobule. Brain Res. 25, 203–206 (1971).
—: Spino-olivocerebellar pathways to the posterior lobe of the cat cerebellum. Exp. Brain Res. 18, 1–18 (1973a).
—: The spatial organisation of climbing fibre branching in the cat cerebellum. Exp. Brain Res. 18, 40–58 (1973b).
—, Schild, R.F.: A quantitative study of the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of the albino rat. J. comp. Neurol. 139, 449–456 (1970).
Barnard, J.W., Woolsey, C.N.: Interconnections between the anterior lobe and the paramedian lobule of the cerebellum. Anat. Rec. 106, 173 (1950).
Batini, C., Pumain, R.: Activation of Purkinje neurons through climbing fibres after chronic lesions of the olivo-cerebellar pathway. Experientia (Basel) 24, 914–916 (1968).
—: Données électrophysiologiques sur l'origine des fibres grimpantes. Arch. ital. Biol. 109, 189–209 (1971).
Blomfield, S., Marr, D.: How the cerebellum may be used. Nature (Lond.) 227, 1224–1228 (1970).
Braitenberg, V., Atwood, R.P.: Morphological observations on the cerebellar cortex. J. comp. Neurol. 109, 1–33 (1958).
Brodal, A.: Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die olivo-cerebellare Lokalisation. Z. ges. Neurol. Psychiat. 169, 1–153 (1940).
Carrea, R.M.E., Reissig, M., Mettler, F.A.: The climbing fibres of the simian and feline cerebellum. Experimental enquiry into their origin by lesions of the inferior olives and deep cerebellar nuclei. J. comp. Neurol. 87, 321–365 (1947).
Combs, C.M., Thomas, C.E.: Electrical responses in the paramedian lobule evoked by stimulating various parts of the cat cerebellar cortex. Exp. Neurol. 27, 23–33 (1970).
Cooke, J.D., Larson, B., Oscarsson, O., Sjölund, B.: Origin and termination of cuneocerebellar tract. Exp. Brain Res. 13, 339–358 (1971).
Crill, W.E.: Unitary multiple-spiked responses in the cat inferior olive nucleus. J. Neurophysiol. 33, 199–209 (1970).
Deura, S., Snider, R.S.: Cortico-cortical connections in the cerebellum. In: Morphological and Biochemical Correlates of Neural Activity, pp. 142–177. Ed. by M.M. Cohen and R.S. Snider. New York: Harper and Row 1964.
Eager, R.P.: Cortical association pathways in the cerebellum of the cat. J. comp. Neurol. 121, 381–393 (1963).
Eccles, J.C., Ito, M., Szentágothai, J.: The Cerebellum as a Neuronal Machine. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1967.
—, Llinás, R., Sasaki, K.: The excitatory synaptic action of climbing fibres on the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 182, 268–296 (1966).
—, Voorhoeve, P.E.: Interaction experiments on the responses evoked in Purkinje cells by climbing fibres. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 182, 297–315 (1966).
Escobar, A., Sampedro, E.D., Dow, R.S.: Quantitative data on the inferior olivary nucleus in man, cat and vampire bat. J. comp. Neurol. 132, 397–404 (1968).
Estable, C.: Notes sur la structure comparative de l'écorce cérébelleuse et dérivées physiolo-giques possibles. Trab. Lab. Invest, biol. Univ. Madr. 21, 169–256 (1923).
Faber, D.S., Murphy, J.T.: Axonal branching in the climbing fibre pathway to the cerebellum. Brain Res. 15, 262–267 (1969).
Fox, C.A., Andrade, A., Schwyn, R.C.: Climbing fiber branching in the granular layer. In: Neurobiology of Cerebellar Evolution and Development. Ed. by R. Llinás. Chicago: American Medical Association 1969.
Frezik, J.: Associative connections established by Purkinje axon collaterals between different parts of the cerebellar cortex. Acta morph. Acad. Sci. hung. 12, 9–14 (1963).
Futami, K., Okamoto, M. (1960), cited by Okamoto, M.: Anatomy of olivary nucleus and surrounding areas. Adv. neurol. Sci. (Tokyo) 12, 341–367 (1968).
Granit, R., Phillips, C.G.: Excitatory and inhibitory processes acting upon individual Purkinje cells of the cerebellum in cats. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 133, 520–547 (1956).
—: Effects on Purkinje cells of surface stimulation of the cerebellum. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 135, 73–92 (1957).
Grant, G.: Demonstration of degenerating climbing fibres in the molecular layer of the cerebellum. Brain Res. 22, 236–242 (1970).
Hern, J.E.C., Landgren, S., Phillips, C.G., Porter, R.: Selective excitation of corticofugal neurones by surface-anodal stimulation of the baboon's motor cortex. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 11, 73–90 (1962).
Jansen, J., Brodal, A.: Aspects of Cerebellar Anatomy. Ed. by J. Jansen and A. Brodal. Oslo: Grundt Tanum Forlag 1954.
Körlin, D., Larson, B.: Differences in cerebellar potentials evoked by the group I and cutaneous components of the cuneocerebellar tract. Fifth International Meeting of Neurobiologists, 1969. Excitatory Synaptic Mechanisms, pp. 237–241. Ed. by P. Andersen and J.K.S. Jansen. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget 1970.
Larsell, O.: The cerebellum of the cat and the monkey. J. comp. Neurol. 99, 135–200 (1953).
Marr, D.: A theory of cerebellar cortex. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 202, 437–470 (1969).
Miller, S., Oscarsson, O.: Termination and functional organization of spino-olivocerebellar paths. In: The Cerebellum in Health and Disease, pp. 172–200. Ed. by W.S. Fields and W.D. Willis. St. Louis: Warren H. Green Inc. 1970.
O'Leary, J.L., Dunsker, S.B., Smith, J.M., Inukai, J., O'Leary, M.: Termination of the olivocerebellar system in the cat. Arch. Neurol. (Chic.) 22, 193–206 (1970).
Oscarsson, O.: Termination and functional organization of the ventral spino-olivocerebellar path. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 196, 453–478 (1968).
Palkovits, M., Magyar, P., Szentágothai, J.: Quantitative histological analysis of the cerebellar cortex in the cat. I. Number and arrangement in space of the Purkinje cells. Brain Res. 32, 1–13 (1971).
Phillips, C.G., Porter, R.: Unifocal and bifocal stimulation of the motor cortex. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 162, 532–538 (1962).
Porter, R.: Antidromic conduction of volleys in pyramidal tract. J. Neurophysiol. 18, 138–150 (1955).
Ramón y Cajal, S.: Histologie du Système Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vertébrés, Tome II 1911. Madrid: Talleres Gráficas Montaña (reprinted 1955).
Sasaki, K., Kawaguchi, S., Shimono, T.: Interfolial mossy fibre connections in the cat cerebellum. Jap. J. Physiol. 19, 110–118 (1969).
Scheibel, M.E., Scheibel, A.B.: Observations on the intracortical relations of the climbing fibers of the cerebellum. A Golgi study. J. comp. Neurol. 101, 733–763 (1954).
Schild, R.F.: On the inferior olive of the albino rat. J. comp. Neurol. 140, 255–260 (1970).
Szentágothai, J., Rajkovits, K.: Über den Ursprung der Kletterfasern des Kleinhirns. Z. Anat. Entwickl.-Gesch. 121, 130–141 (1959).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Armstrong, D.M., Harvey, R.J. & Schild, R.F. Cerebello-cerebellar responses mediated via climbing fibres. Exp Brain Res 18, 19–39 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236554
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236554