An in vivo method for studying afferent fibre activity from cervical paravertebral tissue during vertebral motion in anaesthetised cats

We describe a method for characterizing and studying afferent input to the central nervous system arising from deep axial structures of the neck durin g defined cervical vertebral movement. Multiple or single unit recordings o f afferent activity arising from identified receptive fields in these tissu es can now be studied in situ while simultaneously inducing 'natural' stimu lation of mechanoreceptors during well defined movements of the intact vert ebral column. When combined with existing strategies for extracellular and intracellular recordings of neurones, the methods described here will allow in vivo investigation of the central effects of functionally identified af ferents innervating identified receptive fields located in deep paravertebr al tissues during a variety of discrete movements of individual vertebra. T his has particular importance in determining the relative role that afferen ts innervating specific axial tissues have on identified neurones in the ce ntral nervous system. It will allow determination of the 'bias' of input to projection cells, such as 'hyperconvergent' neurones, during natural movem ent. Furthermore, it will allow investigation of their role in the control of somatic and autonomic reflex behaviour. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.