Multisegmental Aδ- and C-Fiber Input to Neurons in Lamina I and the Lateral Spinal Nucleus

Spinal lamina I and the lateral spinal nucleus (LSN) receive and integrate nociceptive primary afferent inputs to project through diverse ascending pathways. The pattern of the afferent supply of individual lamina I and LSN neurons through different segmental dorsal roots is poorly understood. Therefore, we recorded responses of lamina I and LSN neurons in spinal segments L4 and L3 to stimulation of six ipsilateral dorsal roots (L1-L6). The neurons were viewed through the overlying white matter in the isolated spinal cord preparation using the oblique infrared LED illumination technique. Orientation of myelinated fibers in the white matter was used as a criterion to distinguish between the LSN and lamina I. Both types of neurons received mixed (monosynaptic and polysynaptic) excitatory A delta- and C-fiber input from up to six dorsal roots, with only less than one-third of it arising from the corresponding segmental root. The largest mixed input arose from the dorsal root of the neighboring caudal segment. Lamina I and LSN neurons could fire spikes upon the stimulation of up to six different dorsal roots. We also found that individual lamina I neurons can receive converging monosynaptic A delta- and/or C-fiber inputs from up to six segmental roots. This study shows that lamina I and LSN neurons function as intersegmental integrators of primary afferent inputs. We suggest that broad monosynaptic convergence of A delta- and C-afferents onto a lamina I neuron is important for the somatosensory processing.