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Photic responses of geniculo-hypothalamic tract neurons in the Syrian hamster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Mary E. Harrington  and
Benjamin Rusak
Mary E. Harrington
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Benjamin Rusak
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Abstract

The putative neural pacemaker controlling circadian rhythms in mammals is contained in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. These nuclei receive a projection, the geniculo-hypothalamic tract (GHT), from neurons in the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) and portions of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) of the thalamus. We examined the responses of putative GHT neurons to diffuse illumination using extracellular electrophysiological recordings. The great majority of IGL neurons showed sustained ON responses to diffuse retinal illumination; vLGN neurons showed more variation in their responses. Discharge rates of sustained ON neurons increased monotonically as light intensity was increased and saturated over 2–3 log units of intensity changes. Many IGL neurons had binocular input, and input from the ipsilateral eye was often inhibitory. These results indicate that GHT neurons may provide information about ambient light intensity to the suprachiasmatic nuclei.

Keywords

NeurophysiologyLateral geniculate nucleusIntergeniculate leafletCircadian systemVisual systemEntrainmentSuprachiasmatic nuclei
Type
Research Article
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , April 1989 , pp. 367 - 375
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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