An analysis of the retinal afferents to the cat's medial interlaminar nucleus and to its rostral thalamic extension, the "geniculate wing".
The retinal afferents to the medial interlaminar nucleus and to its rostro-dorsal extension at the edge of the pulvinar have been studied in cats by fiber degeneration and autoradiographic methods. Fiber degeneration following section of one optic nerve shows two distinct retinal inputs: One is coarse-fibered and goes to the medial interlaminar nucleus itself; the second, which is fine-fibered, goes to the rostral and medial borders of the medial interlaminar nucleus and continues into the pulvinar. The regions in receipt of these fine fibers have been called the "geniculate wing". The topography of retinal representations and the degree of binocular overlap within the medial interlaminar nucleus and the wing have been studied by combining intraocular injections of 3H proline with local lesions of the injected eye, or with removal of the non-injected eye. In the medial interlaminar nucleus three distinct laminae are recognizable and are particularly clearly shown in horizontal sections. Rostrally and medially, lamina 1 maps the contralateral nasal retina as a mirror reversal of lamina A. Posterior and lateral to this, lamina 2 maps the ipsilateral temporal retina as a mirror reversal of lamina A1. Lamina 3 lies closest to the optic tract and receives crossed afferents from the temporal retina. In this lamina, which is the smallest, vertical retinal dimensions map as in the other layers, but we were unable to determine the mapping of the horizontal dimensions. In the geniculate wing, as in the other geniculate layers, vertical lines of the visual field are mapped as corresponding vertical diencephalic dimensions; horizontal retinal dimensions are mapped as horizontal lines in the wing, with central retinal areas represented furthest from the optic tract. In the geniculate wing the contralateral nasal and ipsilateral temporal retina are mapped with considerable binocular overlap. The crossed temporal retina has no demonstrable representation in the wing.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002415:Cats; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014794:Visual Fields; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology