Fast rhythms in the discharges of medullary inspiratory neurons.

The discharges of 44 medullary inspiratory (I) neurons in decerebrate paralyzed cats were studied using interval and spectral analysis. Most neurons had a rhythm in their discharge. In 31 the rhythm was at the frequency of, and coherent to, the high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) of I nerves, and in 7 the rhythm was in the range of medium-frequency oscillations (MFOs), with no coherence to nerve MFOs. Thus, correlated HFOs are characteristic of the I system at all levels, whereas MFOs are uncommon in medullary neurons and seem to be unrelated to general mechanisms.