Thalamic afferents to the limbic cortex in the cat studied with the method of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase

Abstract

Thalamic afferents to the limbic cortex in the cat were studied with the method of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. The anterior limbic region receives fibers largely from the anteromedial nucleus and partly from the anterodorsal and anteroventral nuclei. There appears to be a dorsoventral organization of cortical projections of the anteromedial nucleus to the anterior limbic region. The cingular area has its main input from the anteroventral and anteromedial nuclei. The lower bank and fundus of the splenial sulcus receive fibers from the anteroventral nucleus, particularly its parvocellular part. The retrosplenial area receives projections from the anterodorsal, anteroventral and anteromedial nuclei. The agranular retrosplenial area (area 30) receives hardly any fibers from the anterior thalamic nuclei. The postsubicular and presubicular areas receive cortical afferents from the anterodorsal, anteroventral (both magnocellular and parvocellular parts) and anteromedial nuclei. In addition, the limbic cortex receives many fibers from the dorsal lateral, medial pulvinar and lateral pulvinar nuclei, and few fibers from the intralaminar and midline nuclei.