Sensorimotor performance is highly dependent on the level of physical activity. For instance, a period of disuse induces an impairment of motor performance, which is the result of combined muscular, spinal and supraspinal mechanisms. Concerning this latter origin, our hypothesis was that intrinsic properties and input/output coupling of cells within the sensorimotor cortex might participate to the alteration in cortical motor control. The aim of the present study was thus to examine the basic electrophysiological characteristics of cortical cells in control rats and in animals submitted to 14 days of hindlimb unloading, a model of sensorimotor deprivation. Intracellular recordings were obtained in vitro from coronal slices from cortical hindpaw representation area. We have also made an attempt to determine the morphological characteristics as well as the location of the investigated neurons by biocytin labelling. Passive properties of neurons were affected by hindlimb unloading: input resistance and time constant were decreased (-20%), the rheobase was increased (+34%), whereas the resting potential was unchanged. The frequency-current relationships were also modified, the curve being shifted towards right. The size of body area of recorded neurons was unchanged in unloaded rats. Taken together, these data reflect a decrease in excitability of cortical cells in response to a decreased cortical activation.
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