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Effects of electrode penetrations into the abducens nucleus of the monkey: eye movement recordings and histopathological evaluation of the nuclei and lateral rectus muscles

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Abstract

Two adult rhesus monkeys that had undergone 2 years of electrode penetrations into their abducens and vestibular nuclei, for chronic eye movement studies, were examined histologically. An analysis of their VIth nucleus neurons and lateral rectus muscles revealed the following. Twenty-two percent of the large neurons (≈30 µm in diameter), on average, were missing and extensive neuropil disruption and gliosis was evident in the experimental side abducens nuclei as compared with the control side in each animal. While the lateral rectus muscles showed small, but inconsistent, changes in total fiber number, the muscle fiber diameters were altered, leading to a more homogenous muscle and making the typical orbital and global subdivisions of the muscle less distinct. Eye movement records from before and after the electrophysiological studies were comparable. We discuss how the complex architecture of the extraocular muscles as well as the possibility of polyneuronal innervation of single muscle fibers could explain our results.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by National Institutes of Health grants EY 11249 and EY 02191 and by a Medical Research Council of Canada (MRC) grant to Dr. Cullen. The authors greatly appreciate the help of Dr. John T. Povlishock for his advice on histo-pathological techniques as well as the technical assistance of Sue Walker and Barbara Mann.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, POB 980709, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 E. Marshall St., Richmond, VA 23298, USA

    J. R. McClung, D. M. Dimitrova & S. J. Goldberg

  2. Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA

    M. S. Shall

  3. Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3G1Y6, Canada

    K. E. Cullen

Authors
  1. J. R. McClung
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  2. K. E. Cullen
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  3. M. S. Shall
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  4. D. M. Dimitrova
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  5. S. J. Goldberg
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Correspondence to S. J. Goldberg.

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McClung, J.R., Cullen, K.E., Shall, M.S. et al. Effects of electrode penetrations into the abducens nucleus of the monkey: eye movement recordings and histopathological evaluation of the nuclei and lateral rectus muscles. Exp Brain Res 158, 180–188 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-004-1892-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-004-1892-3

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