European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 1 - Number 2
Eur J Anat, 1 (2): 105-116 (1997)

Laminar and areal distribution of corticothalamic neurons with contralateral projection

J.L. Velayos

Departamento de Morfología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain

ABSTRACT In order to study the corticothalamic projec­tions, injections of horseradishperoxidase and fluorochrome tracers were made in medial, intralaminar and anterior thalamic nuclei and the habenular complexo The mediodorsal tha­ lamic nucleus is the nucleus receiving the most important number of projections from both hemispheres. The ratio between the amount of the retrograde cell labeling in layer V and VI was slightly greater in the contralateral than in the ipsilateral hemisphere in the case of the intermediate band of mediodorsal .nucleus. Lamina VI connects more abundantly than layer V to the rostral intralaminar nuclei. The centro­ median-parafascicular complex, the midline tha­ lamic nuclei and habenula receive more projec­tions from layer V. The anterior thalamic complex receive similar proportion of projections from layer V and VI of the cortex.

Keywords: Contralateral corticothalamic pro­jections, cortical layers, thalamus, cat.

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)