title: Basal ganglia and cerebellar interconnectivity within the human thalamus.
abstract: Basal ganglia and the cerebellum are part of a densely interconnected network. While both subcortical structures process information in basically segregated loops that primarily interact in the neocortex, direct subcortical interaction has been recently confirmed by neuroanatomical studies using viral transneuronal tracers in non-human primate brains. The thalamus is thought to be the main relay station of both projection systems. Yet, our understanding of subcortical basal ganglia and cerebellar interconnectivity within the human thalamus is rather sparse, primarily due to limitation in the acquisition of in vivo tracing. Consequently, we strive to characterize projections of both systems and their potential overlap within the human thalamus by diffusion MRI and tractography. Our analysis revealed a decreasing anterior-to-posterior gradient for pallido-thalamic connections in: (1) the ventral-anterior thalamus, (2) the intralaminar nuclei, and (3) midline regions. Conversely, we found a decreasing posterior-to-anterior gradient for dentato-thalamic projections predominantly in: (1) the ventral-lateral and posterior nucleus; (2) dorsal parts of the intralaminar nuclei and the subparafascicular nucleus, and (3) the medioventral and lateral mediodorsal nucleus. A considerable overlap of connectivity pattern was apparent in intralaminar nuclei and midline regions. Notably, pallidal and cerebellar projections were both hemispherically lateralized to the left thalamus. While strikingly consistent with findings from transneuronal studies in non-human primates as well as with pre-existing anatomical studies on developmentally expressed markers or pathological human brains, our assessment provides distinctive connectional fingerprints that illustrate the anatomical substrate of integrated functional networks between basal ganglia and the cerebellum. Thereby, our findings furnish useful implications for cerebellar contributions to the clinical symptomatology of movement disorders.
authors.affiliation: Translational Neurocirciutry Group, Max-Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.|Department of Neurology, University Clinics Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Esther A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Pelzer
authors.affiliation: Translational Neurocirciutry Group, Max-Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Clinics Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Timmermann
authors.affiliation: Translational Neurocirciutry Group, Max-Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.|Max-Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: D Yves
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: von Cramon
authors.affiliation: Translational Neurocirciutry Group, Max-Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany. tittgemeyer@sf.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tittgemeyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Basal ganglia; Cerebellum; Connectivity; Diffusion MRI; Hemispheric lateralization; Thalamus