title: Functional identification of a pulvinar path from superior colliculus to cortical area MT.
abstract: The idea of a second visual pathway, in which visual signals travel from brainstem to cortex via the pulvinar thalamus, has had considerable influence as an alternative to the primary geniculo-striate pathway. Existence of this second pathway in primates, however, is not well established. A major question centers on whether the pulvinar acts as a relay, particularly in the path from the superior colliculus (SC) to the motion area in middle temporal cortex (MT). We used physiological microstimulation to identify pulvinar neurons belonging to the path from SC to MT in the macaque. We made three salient observations. First, we identified many neurons in the visual pulvinar that received input from SC or projected to MT, as well as a largely separate set of neurons that received input from MT. Second, and more importantly, we identified a subset of neurons as relay neurons that both received SC input and projected to MT. The identification of these relay neurons demonstrates a continuous functional path from SC to MT through the pulvinar in primates. Third, we histologically localized a subset of SC-MT relay neurons to the subdivision of inferior pulvinar known to project densely to MT but also localized SC-MT relay neurons to an adjacent subdivision. This pattern indicates that the pulvinar pathway is not limited to a single anatomically defined region. These findings bring new perspective to the functional organization of the pulvinar and its role in conveying signals to the cerebral cortex.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20982-4435, USA. bermanr@nei.nih.gov
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wurtz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D008251:Macaca; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D020649:Pulvinar / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1981 Sep;46(3):672-93
references.pmid: 7299441
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 1991;86(3):467-70
references.pmid: 1722170
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1979 Oct 15;187(4):655-78
references.pmid: 114556
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2001 Oct 29;439(4):469-90
references.pmid: 11596067
references.citation: Exp Neurol. 1976 Dec;53(3):780-800
references.pmid: 826404
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1981 Jul 1;199(3):293-326
references.pmid: 7263951
references.citation: Nature. 2006 Nov 16;444(7117):374-7
references.pmid: 17093408
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2003 Oct 29;358(1438):1605-24
references.pmid: 14561322
references.citation: Neuron. 2002 Jan 17;33(2):163-75
references.pmid: 11804565
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1980 Aug 15;192(4):853-82
references.pmid: 7419758
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1998 Jan 26;390(4):515-36
references.pmid: 9450533
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1993 Oct 1;336(1):1-30
references.pmid: 8254107
references.citation: Front Neuroanat. 2007 Nov 02;1:2
references.pmid: 18958196
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1980;5(12):2219-28
references.pmid: 7465053
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1990;35(2):375-475
references.pmid: 2199841
references.citation: Vis Neurosci. 1997 Nov-Dec;14(6):1043-60
references.pmid: 9447687
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2004 Mar;91(3):1381-402
references.pmid: 14573558
references.citation: Brain Res. 1981 Oct 5;222(1):150-4
references.pmid: 6170386
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1976 Oct 1;169(3):371-92
references.pmid: 823181
references.citation: J Neurosci Methods. 2000 Nov 15;103(1):63-71
references.pmid: 11074096
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1996 Dec 1;16(23):7733-41
references.pmid: 8922429
references.citation: Brain Res. 1983 Apr 18;265(2):227-32
references.pmid: 6850325
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2004 Jul 26;475(3):406-15
references.pmid: 15221954
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2000 Apr 10;419(3):377-93
references.pmid: 10723012
references.citation: Vis Neurosci. 2000 Jul-Aug;17(4):529-49
references.pmid: 11016573
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1975 Jun 15;161(4):569-94
references.pmid: 1133232
references.citation: Cereb Cortex. 2005 Aug;15(8):1207-21
references.pmid: 15616136
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1984 Mar 1;223(3):368-86
references.pmid: 6323553
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 1977 May 23;28(1-2):51-62
references.pmid: 407094
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1981 Oct 10;202(1):19-45
references.pmid: 6793644
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 2000 Jan;23(1):35-9
references.pmid: 10631787
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1999 Apr 5;406(2):221-50
references.pmid: 10096608
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 1987;10:363-401
references.pmid: 3105414
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2000 Apr;83(4):1979-2001
references.pmid: 10758109
references.citation: J Neurosci Methods. 1988 Dec;26(2):117-22
references.pmid: 3146006
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1996 Apr 22;368(1):57-87
references.pmid: 8725294
references.citation: Neuron. 2010 Jan 28;65(2):270-9
references.pmid: 20152132
references.citation: Nature. 1998 Jan 15;391(6664):245-50
references.pmid: 9440687
references.citation: Science. 2002 May 24;296(5572):1480-2
references.pmid: 12029137
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1995 Dec 25;363(4):545-562
references.pmid: 8847417
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1985 Oct;54(4):867-86
references.pmid: 4067625
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 2008;171:467-73
references.pmid: 18718342
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 1993;95:371-80
references.pmid: 8493346
references.citation: Brain Res Rev. 2007 Oct;55(2):285-96
references.pmid: 17433837
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1984 Nov 20;230(1):55-76
references.pmid: 6096414
references.citation: Vision Res. 1986;26(6):857-73
references.pmid: 3750869
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1975 Apr 1;160(3):339-61
references.pmid: 1112928
references.citation: Brain Res. 1983 Mar 7;262(2):288-94
references.pmid: 6839157
references.citation: Science. 1969 Apr 18;164(3877):251-62
references.pmid: 4887561
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1977 Mar;40(2):428-45
references.pmid: 403252
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1972 Jul;35(4):542-59
references.pmid: 4624739
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1983 Jul 1;217(3):307-36
references.pmid: 6886056
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1998 Sep;80(3):1122-31
references.pmid: 9744927
references.citation: Lancet. 1974 Apr 20;1(7860):707-8
references.pmid: 4132425
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1976 Nov;39(6):1288-319
references.pmid: 825621