Motor cortex projections to the thalamus. An autoradiographic study in the cat.

Abstract

Adult cats received tritiated proline-leucine injections into the pericruciate cortex (areas 4 gamma and 3a) unilaterally and the projections to the thalamus were analyzed. Ipsilateral projections were found in the following nuclei, from rostral to caudal: ventral anterior, reticular, ventral lateral, central medial, paracentral, central lateral, ventral medial, mediodorsal, ventral posterolateral, ventral posteroinferior, centre median, parafascicular and posterior complex. In the contralateral hemithalamus sparse projections were found within the paracentral, central lateral and ventral medial nuclei.