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1) In the encephale isole cat preparation the cerebral peduncle (CP) and the nucleus ventralis lateralis (VL) of the thalamus were stimulated. Short-latency responses recorded from precruciate cortical neurons consisted of excitatory (EPSP) and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSP). 2) Laminar distributions of these responses and their latencies were viewed as the spatiotemporal pattern of spread of excitation and inhibition within the cortex in comparison with those obtained by epicortical stimulation (EPICS). 3) In contrast with activities by EPICS spreading downwards from superficial to deep layers, CP recurrent activities spread upwards from deep to middle or superficial layers, and those by VL afferents spread from middle to both superficial and deep layers bidirectionally. 4) These three intracortical routes shared common cell assemblies in that they received convergent EPSPs or IPSPs to various extents from different inputs. The routes for EPICS and VL inputs were overlapped particularly with abundant supply of convergence in spite of their functional difference. Relevant potentiality of the cerebral network in forming plural patterns was discussed.

1. Intracellular potentials were recorded from 164 cells in cat precruciate cortex, and their responses were examined during the phasic and tonic phases of EEG arousal. 2. According to the initial responses corresponding to phasic EEG arousal, these cells were classified into 71 E (excitation), 49 I (inhibition), 38 DF (disfacilitation), and 6 DI (disinhibition) cells. 3. The late responses corresponding to tonic EEG arousal varied among these cells. Thirty-two of the 164 cells were unresponsive. Of the remaining cells, 102 showed excitation, 16 inhibition, 12 disfacilitation, and 2 disinhibition. These cells were retermed +E, +I, +DF, and +DI cells, respectively. 4. +E cells were located at all depths through laminae I to VI, but the majority were found in laminae IIIb-VI. +I cells were between lamina I and the lower half of lamina III (IIIb), and +DF and +DI cells were between lamina I and the upper half of lamina III (IIIa). From these characteristic layer distributions it is postulated that an upward cascade transmission from deep to superficial layers occurs during tonic EEG arousal. 5. Nine types of combinations of the initial and late responses were found: E, I, DF or DI with +E, E or I with +I, E or I with +DF, and I with +DI. To explain these various activity patterns, an 'arousal' circuit model was proposed by combining the downward and upward cascade transmission patterns. The elementary structure of cortical arousal was thus formulated, and discussed from the development aspect of behavior.