An intracellular study of Renshaw cells.

Intracellular recordings were made from Renshaw cells in the cat. Recurrent excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were elicited by antidromic stimulation of the ventral roots. These EPSPs had a simple monophasic time course without a spike-like peak reported by previous authors. No hyperpolarization could be detected following averaged EPSPs. However, after bursts of impulses an afterhyperpolarization could be detected which probably contributes to a pause in firing after the initial response. Depolarizing current pulses elicited a burst of impulses similar in pattern to the initial response to stimulation of the ventral roots.