title: Anterior thalamic nuclei lesions and recovery of function: Relevance to cognitive thalamus.
abstract: Injury to the anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) and their neural connections is the most consistent neuropathology associated with diencephalic amnesia. ATN lesions in rats produce memory impairments that support a key role for this region within an extended hippocampal system of complex overlapping neural connections. Environmental enrichment is a therapeutic tool that produces substantial, although incomplete, recovery of memory function after ATN lesions, even after the lesion-induced deficit has become established. Similarly, the neurotrophic agent cerebrolysin, also counters the negative effects of ATN lesions. ATN lesions substantially reduce c-Fos expression and spine density in the retrosplenial cortex, and reduce spine density on CA1 neurons; only the latter is reversed by enrichment. We discuss the implications of this evidence for the cognitive thalamus, with a proposal that there are genuine interactions among different but allied thalamo-cortical systems that go beyond a simple summation of their separate effects.
authors: New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. Electronic address: jc.dalrymple.alford@gmail.com.
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Dalrymple-Alford
authors: New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
authors: Bruce
authors: B
authors: Harland
authors: New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
authors: Elena A
authors: EA
authors: Loukavenko
authors: New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
authors: Brook
authors: B
authors: Perry
authors: New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Mercer
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Collings
authors: Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Ulrich
authors: Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Wickliffe C
authors: WC
authors: Abraham
authors: Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Neil
authors: N
authors: McNaughton
authors: University of Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33400 Talence, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33400 Talence, France.
authors: Mathieu
authors: M
authors: Wolff
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D020643:Anterior Thalamic Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000473:pathology; D004777:Environment; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009434:Neural Pathways; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D020127:Recovery of Function; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C006952:cerebrolysin
keywords: CA1; Cerebrolysin; Enrichment; Retrosplenial; Spines; Thalamic amnesia