Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology · 1965 · 11 citations · 6 references
Life SciencesNeurobiologyNeuroscienceBehavioral NeuroscienceElectrophysiologyNeurophysiologyElectroencephalographyOlfactory NeurobiologyOlfactory NeuroscienceOlfactory PhysiologySensory SystemsSleep PhysiologyAmygdaloid NucleiOlfactory Bulb ConnectionsOlfactory Bulb PhysiologyOlfactory Circuit DynamicsOlfactory NeurophysiologyOlfactory SignalingSleep
The electrical activities of the amygdala and olfactory bulb have been recorded from unrestrained cats with the aid of a telemetering device, and the frequency spectra of the records determined. In alert animals the signal from both structures was characterized by a strong 40 c.p.s. component; this became less obvious as attentiveness declined, and in natural sleep was replaced by lower-frequency activity. The 40-c.p.s. bursts appeared to be generated in the amygdala and thence transmitted to the bulb. In lightly anesthetized animals a dissociation in activity between the two structures was noted; the amygdaloid record resembled that of natural sleep while the bulb showed a fast rhythm. The response to an olfactory stimulus depended upon the alertness of the cat. If it was fully alert, the 40 c.p.s. component was suppressed during olfaction, but if inattentive it was accentuated. It is suggested that the 40-c.p.s. bursts represent the operation of a gated system scanning for an olfactory input.
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