Polysensory interactions in the cuneate nucleus.

1. The effects of light flashes or sound clicks on somatic sensory activity in the cuneate nucleus of the cat were studied. Polysensory interactions were demonstrated by means of gross potential recording in the cuneate nucleus or medial lemniscus, single unit recording in the cuneate nucleus, and excitability testing of tract terminals.2. Brief flashes or clicks were found to produce negative (N) and positive (P) waves in the cuneate nucleus similar to those produced by cutaneous stimulation. Furthermore, the P wave evoked by conditioning photic or acoustic stimuli depressed the P wave produced by cutaneous test stimuli.3. Conditioning photic or acoustic stimuli inhibited spontaneously firing cuneate neurones as well as those driven by cutaneous test stimuli.4. Conditioning photic or acoustic stimuli depressed the test discharge in the medial lemniscus evoked by cutaneous test stimuli.5. Micro-electrode stimulation within the cuneate nucleus evoked an antidromic response in the superficial radial nerve consisting of two spike complexes. Conditioning photic or acoustic stimuli caused an increase in the size of the initial spike complex and a depression in the secondary spike complex. These changes and the time courses of all the interactions observed were suggestive of presynaptic inhibition.6. The modulatory influences of photic and acoustic stimuli on the cuneate nucleus were present under alpha-chloralose or pentobarbitone anaesthesia and the acoustic influence persisted after midcollicular decerebration. When added to other evidence, the above findings suggest that the reticular formation of the brain stem plays an important role in these polysensory interactions.