[go: up one dir, main page]
More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/ Skip to main content
Log in

The trigeminally evoked blink reflex

II. Mechanisms of paired-stimulus suppression

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paired-stimulus paradigm, presentation of a pair of identical reflex-eliciting stimuli to the supraorbital nerve (SO) with an interstimulus interval of less than 2 s, evokes a response to the second, test, stimulus which is less than that elicited by the first, conditioning, stimulus. In this study, we investigated the site of this suppression and its pharmacology in the alert guinea pig. Both the early (R1) and the late (R2) component of the SO-evoked blink reflex exhibited suppression in the paired-stimulus paradigm. Initiation of suppression appeared to be specific to the afferent limb of the reflex rather than the result of motor activity generated by the conditioning stimulus. Neither acoustic conditioning stimuli nor air puffs that elicited blinks via another branch of the trigeminal nerve suppressed the test response. Extremely weak SO shocks, however, that did not directly elicit a reflex, caused suppression of the response to subsequent SO stimuli of normal intensity. Paired stimulus suppression of the R1 component appeared to involve activation of GABAB receptors within the spinal trigeminal nucleus. Both systemic injections and microinjections of baclofen into the spinal trigeminal nucleus enhanced R1 suppression, whereas identical injections of CGP35348, a GABAB antagonist, diminished R1 suppression. Furthermore, single-unit recordings in alert animals revealed that spinal trigeminal neurons exhibited suppression in the paired-stimulus paradigm that resembled that of the R1 component of the blink reflex. These findings showed that sensory gating underlies paired-stimulus suppression of the SO-evoked blink reflex and that activation of GABAB receptors plays an important role in this process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
£29.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (United Kingdom)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alford S, Grillner S (1991) The involvement of GABAB receptors and coupled G-proteins in spinal GABAergic presynaptic inhibition. J Neurosci 11: 3718–3726

    Google Scholar 

  • Basbaum AI, Glazer EJ, Oertel W (1986) Immunoreactive glutamic acid decarboxylase in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis of the cat: a light and electron microscopic analysis. Somatosens Res 4: 77–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Basso MA, Strecker RE, Evinger C (1993) Midbrain 6-hydroxydopamine lesions modulate blink reflex excitability. Exp Brain Res 94: 88–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Berardelli A, Cruccu G, Manfredi M, Rothwell JC, Day BL, Marsden CD (1985) The corneal reflex and the R2 component of the blink reflex. Neurology 35: 797–801

    Google Scholar 

  • Boelhouwer AJW, Brunia CHM (1979) Effects of stimulus frequency on the blink reflex during rest and a task. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 47: 711–716

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunia CHM, Boelhouwer AJW (1988) Reflexes as a tool: a window in the central nervous system. Adv Psychophysiol 3: 1–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Canli T, Detmer WM, Donegan NH (1992) Potentiation or diminution of discrete motor URs (rabbit eyeblink) to an aversive Pavlovian US by two associative processes: conditioned fear and a conditioned diminution of US processing. Behav Neurosci 106: 498–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruccu G, Agostino R, Fornarelli M, Inghilleri M, Manfredi M (1984) Recovery cycle of the masseter inhibitory reflex in man. Neurosci Lett 49: 63–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruccu G, Agostino R, Berardelli A, Manfredi M (1986) Excitability of the corneal reflex in man. Neurosci Lett 63: 320–324

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruccu G, Ferracuti S, Leardi MG, Fabbri A, Manfredi M (1991) Nociceptive quality of the orbicularis oculi reflexes as evaluated by distinct opiate and benzodiazepine induced changes in man. Brain Res 556: 209–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Darian-Smith I (1965) Presynaptic component in the afferent inhibition observed within trigeminal brain-stem nuclei of the cat. J Neurophysiol 28: 695–709

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis M (1984) The mammalian startle response. In: Eaton RC (ed) Neural mechanisms of startle behavior. Plenum, New York, pp 287–351

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis M, Parisi T, Gendelman DS, Tischler M, Kehne JH (1982) Habituation and sensitization of startle reflexes elicited electrically from the brainstem. Science 218: 688–690

    Google Scholar 

  • Dengler R, Rechl F, Stuppler A (1982) Recruitment of single motor units in the human blink reflex. Neurosci Lett 34: 301–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Desmedt JE, Godaux E (1976) Habituation of exteroceptive suppression and of exteroceptive reflexes in man as influenced by voluntary contraction. Brain Res 106: 21–29

    Google Scholar 

  • DiFiglia M, Aronin N (1990) Synaptic interactions between GABAergic neurons and trigeminothalamic cells in the rat trigminal nucleus caudalis. Synapse 6: 358–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodge R, Louttit CM (1926) Modification of the pattern of the guinea pig's reflex response to noise. J Comp Psychol 6: 267–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Donegan NH (1981) Priming-produced facilitation of diminution of responding to a Pavlovial unconditioned stimulus. J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process 7: 295–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Egger MD (1978) Sensitization and habituation of dorsal horn cells in cats. J Physiol 279: 153–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Evinger C, Manning KA (1988) A model system for motor learning: adaptive gain control of the blink reflex. Exp Brain Res 70: 527–538

    Google Scholar 

  • Evinger C, Powers AS (1993) Multiple brainstem sites effect blink self-inhibition. Neurosci Abstr 19: 787

    Google Scholar 

  • Evinger C, Pellegrini JJ, Manning KA (1989) Adaptive gain modification of the blink reflex. A model system for investigating the physiologic basis of motor learning. Ann NY Acad Sci 563:87–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Evinger C, Basso MA, Manning KA, Sibony PA, Pellegrini JJ, Horn AKE (1993) A role for the basal ganglia in nicotinic modulation of the blink reflex. Exp Brain Res 92: 507–515

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrari E, Messina C (1972) Blink reflexes during sleep and wakefulness in man. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 32: 55–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox JE (1978) Excitatory and inhibitory components of the eyeblink responses to startle evoking stimuli, studied in the human subject. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 44: 490–501

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox JE, Wolstencroft JH (1976) The reduced responsiveness of neurones in nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis following their excitation by peripheral nerve stimulation. J Physiol 258: 687–704

    Google Scholar 

  • Fromm GH, Terrence CF, Chattha AS, Glass JD (1980) Baclofen in trigeminal neuralgia; its effect on the spinal trigeminal nucleus: a pilot study. Arch Neurol 37: 768–771

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregoric M (1973) Habituation of the blink reflex. In: Desmedt JE (ed) New developments in electromyography and clinical neurophysiology, vol. 3. Karger, Basel, pp 673–677

    Google Scholar 

  • Groves PM, Thompson RF (1970) Habituation: a dual-process theory. Psychol Rev 77: 419–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall RD, Hicks BL (1973) Two somatic eyelid reflexes in the albino rat. Physiol Behav 11: 167–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Haring JH, Henderson TA, Jacquin MF (1990) Principalisor parabrachial-projecting spinal trigeminal neurons do not stain for GABA or GAD. Somatosens Mot Res 7: 391–397

    Google Scholar 

  • Huffman HS, Cohen ME, Anday EK (1987) Inhibition of the eyeblink reflex in the human infant. Dev Psychobiol 20: 277–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman HS, Ison JR (1980) Reflex modification in the domain of startle. I. Some empirical findings and their implications for how the nervous system processes sensory input. Psychol Rev 87: 175–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Inagaki M, Takeshita K, Nakao S, Shiraishi Y, Oikawa T (1989) An electrophysiologically defined trigemino-reticulo-facial pathway related to the blink reflex in the cat. Neurosci Lett 96: 64–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Ison JR, Sanes JN, Foss JA, Pinckney LA (1990) Facilitation and inhibition of the human startle blink reflexes by stimulus anticipation. Behav Neurosci 104: 418–429

    Google Scholar 

  • Kangrga I, Jiang M, Randic M (1991) Actions of (-)baclofen on rat dorsal horn neurons. Brain Res 562: 265–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimura J (1973a) Disorder of interneurons in parkinsonism. The orbicularis oculi reflex to paired stimuli. Brain 96: 87–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimura J (1973b) The blink reflex as a test for brain-stem and higher central nervous system function. In: Desmedt JE (ed) New developments in electromyography and clinical neurophysiology, vol 3. Karger, Basel, pp 682–691

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimura J, Harada O (1976) Recovery curves of the blink reflex during wakefulness and sleep. J Neurol 213: 189–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitai ST, Tanaka T, Tsukahara N, Yu H (1972) The facial nucleus of cat: antidromic and synaptic activation and peripheral nerve representation. Exp Brain Res 16: 161–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang PJ, Bradley MM, Cuthbert BN (1990) Emotion, attention, and the startle reflex. Psychol Rev 97: 377–395

    Google Scholar 

  • Leardi MG, Ferracuti S, Innocenti P, Cruccu G (1990) Modulazione con baclofen racemico e levogiro dei riflessi trigeminali nell'uomo. Bol Soc Ital Biol Sper 66: 271–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindquist C (1972a) Facilitation and inhibition of facial reflexes in the cat induced by peripheral stimulation. Acta Physiol Scand 85: 126–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindquist C (1972b) Analysis of facial reflex facilitation and inhibition by microelectrode recording from the brain stem. Acta Physiol Scand 85: 183–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Lisberger SG (1984) The latency of pathways containing the site of motor learning in the monkey vestibuloocular reflex. Science 225: 74–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews MA, McDonald GK, Hernandez TV (1988) GABA distribution in a pain-modulating zone of trigeminal subnucleus interpolaris. Somatosens Res 5: 205–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrini JJ, Horn AKE, Evinger C (1995) The trigeminally evoked blink reflex. I. Neuronal circuit. Exp Brain Res 107: 166–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Penders CA, Delwaide PJ (1973) Physiologic approach to the human blink reflex. In: Desmedt JE (ed) New developments in electromyography and clinical neurophysiology. Karger, Basel, pp 649–657

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosen CA, Petersen MR, Moody DB, Stebbins WC (1978) Auditory threshold and kanamycin-induced hearing loss in the guinea pig assessed by a positive reinforcement procedure. J Acoust Soc Am 63: 559–565

    Google Scholar 

  • Rimpel J, Geyer D, Hopf HC (1982) Changes in the blink responses to combined trigeminal, acoustic and visual repetitive stimulation, studied in the human subject. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 54: 552–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossi B, Vignocchi G, Siciliano G, Risaliti R (1989) Effects of anticholinergic agents on the excitability of the blink reflex in Meige syndrome. Eur Neurol 29: 281–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothwell JC, Day BL, Berardelli A, Marsden CD (1986) Habituation and conditioning of the human longlatency stretch reflex. Exp Brain Res 63: 197–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Rushworth G (1962) Observations on blink reflexes. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatr 25: 93–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandrini G, Alfonsi E, Martignoni E, Horowski R, Nappi G (1985) Effects of lisuride on blink reflex habituation in Parkinson disease. Eur Neurol 24: 374–379

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanes JN (1984) Voluntary movement and excitability of cutaneous eyeblink reflexes. Psychophysiology 2: 653–664

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanes JN, Ison JR (1979) Conditioning auditory stimuli and the cutaneous eyeblink reflex in humans: differential effects according to oligosynaptic or polysynaptic central pathways. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 47: 546–555

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanes JN, Ison JR (1982) Conditions that affect the thresholds of the components of the eyeblink reflex in humans. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatr 45: 543–549

    Google Scholar 

  • Sessle BJ, Hu JW, Dubner R, Lucier GE (1981) Functional properties of neurons in cat trigeminal subnucleus caudalis. II. Modulation of responses to noxious and nonnoxious stimuli by periaqueductal gray nucleus raphe magnus, cerebral cortex and afferent influences and effect of naloxone. J Neurophysiol 45: 193–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamai Y, Iwamoto M, Tsujimoto T (1982) Reactivated response of blink reflex in the cat. Jpn J Physiol 32: 761–769

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamai Y, Iwamoto M, Tsujimoto T (1986) Pathway of the blink reflex in the brainstem of the cat: interneurons between the trigeminal nuclei and the facial nucleus. Brain Res 380: 19–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas RC, Wilson VJ (1965) Precise localization of Renshaw cells with a new marking technique. Nature 206: 211–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldmeier PC (1991) The GABA b antagonist, CGP 35348, antagonizes the effects of baclofen, gamma butyrolactone and HA 966 on rat striatal dopamine synthesis. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 343: 173–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Willer JC, Roby A, Boulu P, Albe-Fessard P (1982) Depressive effect of high frequency peripheral conditioning stimulation upon the nociceptive component of the human blink reflex. Lack of naloxone effect. Brain Res 239: 322–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Wojcik WJ, Holopainen I (1992) Role of central GABAB receptors in physiology and pathology. Neuropsycopharmacology 6: 201–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Zametkin AJ, Stevens JR, Pittman R (1979) Ontogeny of spontaneous blinking and of habituation of the blink reflex. Ann Neurol 5: 453–457

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pellegrini, J.J., Evinger, C. The trigeminally evoked blink reflex. Exp Brain Res 107, 181–196 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00230040

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00230040

Key words

Navigation