Efferent connections of the parabigeminal nucleus to the amygdala and the superior colliculus in the rat: a double-labeling fluorescent retrograde tracing study.
The parabigeminal nucleus (Pbg) is a subcortical visual center that besides reciprocal connections with the superior colliculus (SC), also projects to the amygdala (Am). The Pbg-Am connection is part of a multineuronal pathway that conveys extrageniculostriate inputs of the retina to the Am, and it rapidly responds to the sources of threat before conscious detection. The present study demonstrates that Pbg projects bilaterally to Am and SC. The ipsilateral projections arise from separate cell populations, whilst the contralaterally projecting Pbg neurons emit branching axons that simultaneously innervate Am and SC.
Usunoff
Kamen G
KG
Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Sofia 1431, Bulgaria.
Schmitt
Oliver
O
Itzev
Dimitar E
DE
Rolfs
Arndt
A
Wree
Andreas
A
D000679:Amygdala / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D003336:Tectum Mesencephali / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes