Long-range projections of Aδ primary afferents in the Lissauer tract of the rat

Electrical microstimulation has been used to activate fine myelinated primary afferents running within the Lissauer tract. Stimulation of the tract at the L2/L3 border produced antidromic volleys which were recorded on the dorsal roots of more caudal spinal segments. Antidromic volleys were present in all cases for roots as far caudal as the S2 segment (L3, n = 12; L4, n = 6; L5, n = 6; L6, n = 9; S1, n = 3; S2, n = 6; observations in a total of 15 rats). These fibres were collaterals of primary afferents with conduction velocities in the dorsal root of up to 17.3 ± 2.3 m s−1 (mean ± S.D., n = 6; range 14–20 m s−1). Conduction velocities within the Lissauer tract were slower; the fastest contributing fibres had conduction velocities of 9.2 ± 2.2 m s−1 (range 6–12 m s−1). Lesions of the Lissauer tract caudal to the stimulation site abolished the volleys on roots lying caudal to the lesion. Most previous works have suggested that primary afferents project in the Lissauer tract for only one or two spinal segments. The present study shows that some fibres project rostrally for up to seven spinal segments (L2–S2).