A non-thalamic pathway contributes to a whole body map in the brain of the budgerigar.
Nucleus basalis (Bas) of the budgerigar contains an ordered, but distorted, somatotopic representation of the whole body, as does the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) of mammals. Unlike SI, however, the beak and body regions of Bas receive their sensory input via disynaptic pathways relaying in the pons. That to the body parts originates in a previously undescribed nucleus that receives its inputs from primary afferents via a novel, ipsilateral somatosensory pathway.
Wild
J M
JM
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Reinke
H
H
Farabaugh
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D013377:Substantia Innominata / Q000502:physiology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology