Topographical organisation within the cerebellar nucleocortical projection to the paravermal cortex of lobule Vb/c in the cat

Abstract

The projection from the intracerebellar nuclei to the paravermal (intermediate) cerebellar cortex of lobule Vb/c has been investigated in the cat using a combined electrophysiological and neuroanatomical technique. A small (10-30 nl) injection of WGA-HRP was made into one of the three paravermal zones (c1, c2 or c3) after the mediolateral boundaries of the zones had been delimited on the cerebellar surface by recording climbing fibre field potentials evoked in response to percutaneous stimulation of one or more paws. The distribution of retrogradely labelled cell bodies within the intracerebellar nuclei was compared with the distribution of terminal labelling arising from anterograde transport by cerebellar Purkinje cells. The three paravermal zones displayed marked heterogeneity in their receipt of a projection from the intracerebellar nuclei. The c1 and c3 zones received virtually no such input, although injections in either zone resulted in significant terminal labeling (which was largely restricted to nucleus interpositus anterior). By contrast, the intervening c2 zone received a much heavier nucleocortical input which arose almost exclusively from nucleus interpositus posterior (to which the zone also projected). A sparse contralateral nucleocortical input to the c2 zone was also demonstrated. This arose primarily from nucleus fastigius. It is concluded that the nucleocortical projection to the paravermal cortex of lobule Vb/c displays marked topographical specificity and some functional implications of this are discussed.