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Direct projection from the visual associative cortex to the caudate nucleus in the feline brain

A. Nagy1*, A. Berényi2, K. Gulya3, M. Norita4, G. Benedek1 and A. Nagy1*
  • 1 University of Szeged, Department of Physiology, Hungary
  • 2 The State University of New Jersey, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, United States
  • 3 University of Szeged, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Hungary
  • 4 Niigata University School of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Japan

Recent morphological and physiological studies support the suggestion that the extrageniculate ascending tectofugal pathways send visual projection to the caudate nucleus (CN) in amniotes. In the present study we investigated the anatomic connection between the visual associative cortex along the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (AES) and the CN in adult domestic cats. An anterograde tracer – fluoro-dextrane-amine - was injected in the AES cortex. The distrtibution of labeled axons was not uniform in the CN. Large number of labeled axons and terminal like punkta were found only a limited area in the dorsal part of the CN between the coordinates anterior 12-15. Furthermore, a retrograde tracer -cholaratoxin-B- was inserted in the dorsal part of the CN between anterior 12 and 13. We detected large number of labeled neurons in the fundus and the dorsal part of the AES between the coordinates anterior 12-14.Based upon our recent results we argue that there is a direct monosynaptic connection between the visual associative cortex along the AES and the CN. Beside the posterior thalamus the AES cortex should also participate in the transmission of the tectal visual information to the CN. This pathway is likely to convey complex information containing both sensory and motor components toward the basal ganglia, supporting their integrative function in visuomotor actions such as motion and novelty detection and saccade generation.

Keywords: Sensory and motor activity, Neuroscience

Conference: 13th Conference of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society (MITT), Budapest, Hungary, 20 Jan - 22 Jan, 2011.

Presentation Type: Abstract

Topic: Sensory and motor activity

Citation: Nagy A, Berényi A, Gulya K, Norita M, Benedek G and Nagy A (2011). Direct projection from the visual associative cortex to the caudate nucleus in the feline brain. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 13th Conference of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society (MITT). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2011.84.00004

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Received: 03 Mar 2011; Published Online: 23 Mar 2011.

* Correspondence:
Dr. A. Nagy, University of Szeged, Department of Physiology, Szeged, Hungary, bernadett.nagy@aok.pte.hu
Dr. A. Nagy, University of Szeged, Department of Physiology, Szeged, Hungary, bernadett.nagy@aok.pte.hu