[THE DISTRIBUTION OF CORTICO-THALAMIC PROJECTIONS OF DIFFERENT OF DIFFERENT SOMATOTOPIC REPRESENTATIONS OF PRIMARY MOTOR AND SENSORY CORTEX].

Abstract

The peculiarities of localization and distribution of cortico-thalamic efferents of different somatotopical representations of primary motor (MI) and sensory (SI) cortex were studied in cat brain. MI efferent fibers (4y, 6ab areas) preferentially projected to ventral posterolateral and medial (VPL, VPM), ventrolateral (VL), and reticular (R) nuclei, localized in rostral part of the thalamus (T), as opposed to SI (areas 1, 2, 3a, 3b), which projected preferentially to caudal part of T, VPL, VPM and R nuclei. Latero-medial organization of cortico-thalamic connections was demonstrated, with predominant localization of cortical representation of hindlimbs in the lateral part of VPL, of forelimbs--in the medial part of VPL, of face and head--also in VM and VPM. Quantitative analysis of the distribution of corticothalamic efferents of different somatotopical representations of MI has demonstrated the most extensive, massive connections with T nuclei (VPL, VL, R) of the motor representation of forelimb, followed by the representation of hindlimb, trunk and, finally, the minimal projection of the representation of face and head. As opposed to motor representation of the forelimb and also of the face and head, with uniform distribution of fibers in VPL, VL and R, the number of efferents of motor representation of hindlimb, passing in VL, was almost 2.5 time lower than in VPL and R, whereas the representation of trunk had the predominant projection to VL. Dominant cortico-thalamic connection suggests greater involvement of T nuclei studied in the realization of functional specialization of certain somatotopical representations of MI.