Summary
-
1.
Within the cat geniculate ganglion three distinct neural populations were definable on the basis of single unit recordings. These three neural populations were designated “ear units”, “regular discharge units” and “tongue units.” Units from these three populations tended to be located in different regions of the ganglion and were influenced by different types of stimulation to different parts of the body.
-
2.
Ear units seemed to constitute a uniform functional population, with the major differences between units being the external locus of projection. Ear units typically had no spontaneous activity. They were discharged by dynamic displacements of hairs on the skin of the inner surface of the ear.
-
3.
Regular discharge units were classified into three types on the basis of their spontaneous activity patterns. Discharge of most of the units could be affected by static dislocations of tissues of the soft palate and pharynx. Discharge patterns, evoked and spontaneous, tended to be extremely regular.
-
4.
Tongue units seemed to constitute an extremely diverse population. Wide variability was shown on every measure taken of tongue unit activity. Spontaneous activity patterns varied markedly from unit to unit, with bursting discharge common. Most units could be discharged by electrical stimulation of papillae of the tongue, although the number of stimulatable papillae varied from unit to unit as did latency measures. Some tongue units were discharged by mechanical stimulation of the tongue, most by chemical stimulation of the tongue (with salt, acid, quinine and common cat foods), and some by both.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Amabilino, R.: Sui rapporti del ganglio genioulato. Pisani 19, 123–140 (1898).
Becker, J.: Über Zungenpapillen. Jena. Z. Naturwiss. 36, 537–618 (1908).
B'ekésy, G. v.: Sweetness produced electrically on the tongue and its relation to taste theories. J. appl. Physiol. 19, 1105–1113 (1964).
Boudreau, J.C., Bierer, P., Kaufman, J.: A gold plated, platinum tipped, stainless steel microelectrode. Eleetroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 25, 286–287 (1968).
Brown, A.G., Iggo, A., Miller, S.: Myelinated afferent fibers from the skin of the rabbit ear. Exp. Neurol. 18, 338–349 (1967).
Bruesch, S.R.: The distribution of myelinated afferent fibers in the branches of the cat's facial nerve. J. comp. Neurol. 81, 169–191 (1944).
Burgess, P.R., Petit, D., Warren, R.M.: Receptor types in cat hairy skin supplied by myelinated fibers. J. Neurophysiol. 31, 833–848 (1968).
Buskirk, C.V.: The seventh nerve complex. J. comp. Neurol. 82, 303–326 (1945).
Cohen, M.J., Hagiwara, S., Zotterman, Y.: The response spectrum of taste fibers in the cat: A single fiber analysis. Acta physiol. scand. 33, 316–332 (1955).
Davis, L.E.: The deep sensibility of the face. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.) 9, 283–305 (1923).
Foley, J.O.: The sensory and motor axons of the chorda tympani. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. Proc. 60, 262–267 (1945).
—, DuBois, F.S.: An experimental study of the facial nerve. J. comp. Neurol. 79, 79–105 (1943).
—, Pepper, H.R., Kessler, W.H.: The ratio of nerve fibers to nerve cells in the geniculate ganglion. J. comp. Neurol. 85, 141–148 (1946).
Gaetani, L.d.: Del nervo intermediario di Wrisberg e della corda del timpano. L. Nevraxe 8, 67–123 (1906).
Gmelin: Zur Morphologie der Papilla Vallata und foliata. Arch. mikr. Anat. 40, 1–28 (1892).
Hunt, J.R.: Geniculate neuralgia (neuralgia of the nervus facialis). Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.) 37, 253–285 (1937).
—: On herpetic inflammations of the geniculate gangion. A new syndrome and its complications. J. nerv. ment. Dis. 34, 73–96 (1907).
—: The sensory field of the facial nerve: A further contribution to the symptomatology of the geniculate ganglion. Brain 38, 418–446 (1915).
—: The symptom-complex of the acute posterior poliomyelitis of the geniculate, auditory, glossopharyngeal and pneumogastric ganglia. Arch. intern. Med. 5, 631–675 (1910).
Iggo, A.: Electrophysiological and histological studies of cutaneous mechano-receptors. In: The Skin Senses. Ed. by D. Kenshalo. Springfield, Ill.: C.C. Thomas 1968.
—, Leek, B.F.: The afferent innervation of the tongue of the sheep. In: Olfaction and Taste II. Ed. by T. Hayashi. New York: Pergamon Press 1967.
Iriuchijima, J., Zotterman, Y.: Conduction rates of afferent fibres to the anterior tongue of the dog. Acta physiol. scand. 51, 283–289 (1961).
Kitchell, R.L.: Comparative anatomical and physiological studies of gustatory mechanisms. In: Olfaction and Taste I. Ed. by Y. Zotterman. New York: Pergamon Press 1963.
Kuré, K., Sano, T.: Faserarten im N. facialis und die funktionelle Bedeutung des Ganglion geniculi. Z. Zellforsch. 23, 495–509 (1935).
Larsell, O., Fenton, R.A.: The embryology and neurohistology of sphenopalatine ganglion connections; a contribution to the study of otalgia. Laryngoscope 38, 371–389 (1928).
Lenhossék, M.: Beiträge zur Histologie des Nervensystems und der Sinnesorgane. Wiesbaden, 1894 S. 145–160.
Nagaki, J., Yamashita, S., Sato, M.: Neural response of cat to taste stimuli of varying temperatures. Jap. J. Physiol. 14, 67–89 (1964).
Pfaffmann, C.: Gustatory afferent impulses. J. cell. comp. Physiol. 17, 243–258 (1941).
—: Gustatory nerve impulses in rat, cat and rabbit. J. Neurophysiol. 18, 429–440 (1955).
Ramon y Cajal, S. (1909): “Histologie du Système Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vertébrés.” Institute Ramon y Cajal, Madrid (1952 reprint).
Rapuzzi, G., Casella, C.: Innervation of the fungiform papillae in the frog tongue. J. Neurophysiol. 28, 154–165 (1965).
Rhinehart, D.A.: The nervus facialis of the albino mouse. J. comp. Neurol. 30, 81–125 (1918).
Rodieck, R.W., Kiang, N.Y.S., Gerstein, G.L.: Some quantitative methods for the study of spontaneous activity in single neurons. Biophys. J. 2, 351–368 (1968).
Sato, M., Yamashita, S., Ogawa, H.: Afferent specificity in taste. In: Olfaction and Taste III. Ed. by C. Pfaffmann. Rockefeller University, 1969.
Spalla, L.J., Boudreau, J.C.: A solid state differential amplitude discriminator for single unit recording. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol. 23, 477–480 (1967).
Weddell, G., Pallie, W.: Studies on the innervation of skin: II. The number, size and distribution of hairs, hair follicles and orifices from which the hairs emerge in the rabbit ear. J. Anat. (Lond.) 89, 175–188 (1955).
—, Palmer, E.: Studies on the innervation of skin: I. The origin, course and number of sensory nerves supplying the rabbit ear. J. Anat. (Lond.) 89, 164–174 (1955a).
—, Taylor, A., Williams, C.M.: Studies on the innervation of skin: III. The patterned arrangement of the spinal sensory nerves to the rabbit ear. J. Anat. (Lond). 89, 317–342 (1955b).
Weigner, K.: Über den Verlauf des Nervus intermedius. Anat. Hefte 29, 97–163 (1905).
Zotterman, Y.: Action potentials in the glossopharyngeal nerve and in the chorda tympani. Skand. Arch. Physiol. 72, 73–77 (1935).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported in part by Public Health Service Grants NB06547 and NB07212, and by NSF Grant GB 4948.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Boudreau, J.C., Bradley, B.E., Bierer, P.R. et al. Single unit recordings from the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve of the cat. Exp Brain Res 13, 461–488 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234278
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234278