Elsevier

Experimental Neurology

Volume 17, Issue 1, January 1967, Pages 91-106
Experimental Neurology

Effect of medullary lesions on coordination of deglutition

https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4886(67)90125-2Get rights and content

Abstract

Swallowing involves a complex sequence of excitation and inhibition which is bilaterally symmetrical. To determine where this sequence originates and how the symmetry of action is achieved the brain stem was subjected to longitudinal midline splits or transverse hemisections, or both. Swallowing was elicited by electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve and defined electromyographically. The controlling center lies in the reticular substance of the medulla about 1.5 mm off the midline, 1–3 mm dorsal and just rostral to the rostral pole of the inferior olive. During swallowing the half-center on each side inhibits the middle and inferior constrictors in cats and dogs, and inferior constrictor in macaques, ipsilaterally and excites them contralaterally, while exciting all other participating muscles ipsilaterally only. The paths conveying excitation to the constrictors cross posterior to the obex. Symmetry is achieved between the half-centers via paths present both at the level of the trapezoid body and posterior to the obex since “unilateral swallowing” following partial splitting of the brain stem can still be coordinated bilaterally to bilateral stimulation if these paths remain. Smaller lesions in the critical area suggest that each half-center is composed of a number of subunits controlling the action in one or another motor nucleus.

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2

Dr. Richmond's present address is: Department of Neurology, Wads-worth Campus, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.

1

This work was initiated in the Department of Physiology at the University of Michigan under U.S.P.H.S. grant B-1068 and continued at the University of Rochester under grant NB-03606.

3

That of Dr. Storey is: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, 124 Edward Street, Toronto 2, Ontario, Canada.

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