Cholinergic and Noradrenergic Modulation of Corticothalamic Synaptic Input From Layer 6 to the Posteromedial Thalamic Nucleus in the Rat.

Cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulation of the synaptic transmission from cortical layer 6 of the primary somatosensory cortex to neurons in the posteromedial thalamic nucleus (PoM) was studied using an slice preparation from young rats. Cholinergic agonist carbachol substantially decreased the amplitudes of consecutive excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by a 20 Hz five pulse train. The decreased amplitude effect was counteracted by a parallel increase of synaptic frequency-dependent facilitation.

Cholinergic modulation of synaptic properties of cortical layer VI input to posteromedial thalamic nucleus of the rat investigated in vitro.

The second order somatosensory thalamic nucleus (posteromedial nucleus, PoM) receives excitatory projection from layer VI of somatosensory cortex. While it is known that layer VI cortical input to first order, ventrobasal nucleus (VB) is modulated by cholinergic projections from the brainstem, no such data exists concerning the PoM nucleus. In order to study if layer VI corticothalamic transmission to PoM is also modulated we used patch-clamp recording in thalamocortical slices from the rat's brain.