The properties of cells in the cat trigeminal main sensory and spinal subnuclei activated by mechanical stimulation of the periodontium.

Neurophysiological exploration of the trigeminal sensory complex was done on 42 cats under ketamine anaesthesia, paying special attention to units receiving a periodontal input. Among 492 cells recorded in the trigeminal sensory complex, 73 responded to mechanical stimulation of the periodontium and were precisely localized histologically. Thalamic stimulation was also delivered to the ipsi and contralateral ventro-posterior nucleus to test for antidromic responses. Results of this systematic study were plotted on reference drawings of the full extent of the trigeminal sensory complex.