Cerebellar corticonuclear fibers of the paramedian lobule of tree shrew (Tupaia glis) with comments on zones.

Abstract

Following a series of lesions in dorsal (DPML) and ventral (VPML) divisions of tree shrew (Tupaia) paramedian lobule (PML), the distribution of degenerated axons within the deep cerebellar nuclei was determined using the Fink and Heimer ('67) method. Damage to PML produced axonal degeneration in lateral (NL), anterior interposed (NIA), and posterior interposed (NIP) cerebellar nuclei. No degenerated fibers could be traced to either the medial cerebellar nucleus or vestibular complex, via juxtarestiform body, from lesions in PML. Corticonuclear fibers to NL, NIA, and NIP from PML cortex are topographically organized. Subsequent to lesions of lateral DPML, axonal debris is found in rostral and medial NL, while the lateral edge of VPML projects primarily into medial NL. According to the terminology of Voogd ('69) these lateral regions of PML represent the D zone. The NIP receives corticonuclear input from a relatively wide middle area of both portions of PML, interpreted as the C2 zone. There is some evidence which suggests that medial portions of the C2 area of DPML project into more lateral areas of NIP, while lateral regions of this zone in DPML are related to more medial NIP. This projection pattern is invited for the C2 area of VPML; medial C2 to medial NIP, lateral C2 to lateral NIP. Corticonuclear fibers of PML which enter NIA appear to arise from a narrow, irregular, partially discontinuous strip of cortex located at the interface of the D and C2 areas in lateral PML and from a wider, more regular region in the most medial areas of this lobule. These represent, respectively, the C3 and C1 zones. Although an overall pattern of zones is present, there is evidence to suggest that their spatial organization differs from DPML to VPML. The zonal patterns appears to be more obvious in VPML, while this pattern for DPML is less distinct. This is interpreted as indicating that either (1) zones C1--C3 overlap to a greater degree in DPML than in VPML, or (2) zones C1 and C3 may converge in rostral DPML, partially obliterating the intervening zone C2. The different ways in which zonal terminology is applied to both corticonuclear and certain of the afferent cerebellar systems are discussed.