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The thalamic connections with medial area 6 (supplementary motor cortex) in the monkey (macaca fascicularis)

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Summary

1. The interrelationship of medial area 6 (supplementary motor area) with the thalamus was investigated by means of anterograde and retrograde tracing methods. Nine monkeys were prepared for autoradiography or histochemistry with the marker HRP conjugated to the lectin wheat germ agglutinin. Three of the monkeys received injections into the precentral cortex for comparison. 2. Previous observations were confirmed that the thalamic relays to the motor areas are organized as crescent-shaped lamellae which transgress cytoarchitectonic boundaries. The thalamic VA-VL complex receiving fibres from areas 4 and medial area 6 also sends fibres to these same areas. 3. The thalamic relay to medial area 6 comprised the following subdivisions: VLo, VLc, area X of Olszewski, VLm and, to a smaller extent VA. 4. Labeling (mostly anterograde only) was also prominent in some thalamic compartments outside the ‘motor’ thalamus: R, CL, CM-Pf, MD, LP, PULo. 5. It was noted that rostral and caudal injections into the medial area 6 resulted in different thalamic labeling: The rostral portion was found to be related mainly with VApc, area X and VLc, the central portion with VLo, and the caudal portion with VLc/VLo. This structural inhomogeneity may reflect also a functional rostro-caudal differentiation of the medial area 6. 6. The thalamic territory projecting to the precentral cortex is separate from the above relay and includes principally VPLo. 7. The present anatomical labeling study is in agreement with the conclusion of Schell and Strick (1984) that the SMA, especially its central portion, is an important target of basal ganglia outflow via the thalamic relay VLo. In addition consistent labeling was also found in thalamic subdivisions (area X, VLc) which had been found to receive cerebellar fibres.

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Abbreviations

AD:

Nucleus anterior dorsalis

AM:

Nucleus anterior medialis

AV:

Nucleus anterior ventralis

ARG:

Autoradiography

CL:

Nucleus centralis lateralis

CM:

Centre median nucleus

Comm. post.:

Commissura posterior

CLS:

Nucleus centralis superior lateralis

For:

Fornix

GM:

Nucleus geniculatus medialis

In p.c.:

Nucleus interstitialis of the posterior commissure

LD:

Nucleus lateralis dorsalis

Li:

Nucleus limitans

LP:

Nucleus lateralis posterior

MDmc:

Nucleus medialis dorsalis, pars magnocellularis

MDmf:

Nucleus medialis dorsalis, pars multiformis

MDpc:

Nucleus medialis dorsalis, pars parvocellularis

NRmc:

Nucleus ruber magnocellularis

NRpc:

Nucleus ruber parvocellularis

Pcn:

Nucleus paracentralis

Pf:

Nucleus parafascicularis

Pul.i.:

Nucleus pulvinaris inferior

Pul.l.:

Nucleus pulvinaris lateralis

Pul.m.:

Nucleus pulvinaris medialis

Pul.o.:

Nucleus pulvinaris oralis

R:

Nucleus reticularis thalami

SMA:

Supplementary motor area

STh:

Nucleus subthalamicus

VAmc:

Nucleus ventralis anterior, pars magnocellularis

VApc:

Nucleus ventralis anterior, pars parvocellularis

VLc:

Nucleus ventralis lateralis, pars caudalis

VLm:

Nucleus ventralis lateralis, pars medialis

VLo:

Nucleus ventralis lateralis, pars oralis

VLps:

Nucleus ventralis lateralis, pars postrema;

VPI:

Nucleus ventralis posterior inferior

VPLo:

Nucleus ventralis posterior lateralis, pars oralis

VPM:

Nucleus ventralis posterior medialis

WGA-HRP:

Horseradish peroxidase conjugated to the lectin wheat germ agglutinin;

X:

Area X

ZI:

Zona incerta

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  1. Faculté des Sciences, Institut de Physiologie, Université de Fribourg, Pérolles, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland

    R. Wiesendanger & M. Wiesendanger

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  1. R. Wiesendanger
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  2. M. Wiesendanger
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Wiesendanger, R., Wiesendanger, M. The thalamic connections with medial area 6 (supplementary motor cortex) in the monkey (macaca fascicularis). Exp Brain Res 59, 91–104 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237670

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