Multiple Topographically Organized Projections Connect the Central Nucleus of the Inferior Colliculus to the Ventral Division of the Medial Geniculate Nucleus in the Gerbil, Meriones Unguiculatus.
From: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. nellcant@neuro.duke.edu
The Journal of comparative neurology
- Publish Date: Jul 2007
- ISSN: 0021-9967
- Volume: 503
- Issue: 3
- Pages: 432-53
- Medium: Print
- Language: English
- Citation (JAMA): Cant Nell B, Benson Christina G, et al. Multiple Topographically Organized Projections Connect the Central Nucleus of the Inferior Colliculus to the Ventral Division of the Medial Geniculate Nucleus in the Gerbil, Meriones Unguiculatus.. J. Comp. Neurol. Jul 2007;503:432-53
Abstract
The ventral division of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGv) receives almost all of its ascending input from the ipsilateral central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CNIC). In a previous study (Cant and Benson [2006] J. Comp. Neurol. 495:511-528), we made injections of biotinylated dextran amine into the CNIC of the gerbil and demonstrated that it can be divided into two parts. One part (zone 1) receives almost all of its ascending input from the cochlear nuclei, the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, and the main nuclei of the superior olivary complex; the other part (zone 2) receives inputs from the cochlear nuclei and nuclei of the lateral lemniscus but few or no inputs from the main olivary nuclei. Here we show that these two parts of the CNIC project differentially to the MGv. Axons labeled anterogradely by injections in zone 1 project throughout the rostral two-thirds of the MGv, whereas axons from zone 2 project to the caudal third of the MGv. Throughout much of their extent, the terminal fields do not appear to overlap, although both parts of the CNIC project to medial and dorsal parts of the MGv, and there may be overlap in the most ventral part as well. The results indicate that two parallel pathways arising in the CNIC remain largely separate in the medial geniculate nucleus of the gerbil. It seems most likely that the neurons in the two terminal zones in the MGv perform different functions in audition.
Mesh Headings (Keywords): Animals, Auditory Pathways, Female, Geniculate Bodies, Gerbillinae, Inferior Colliculi, Nerve Fibers
Check for Full Text / PubMed Unique Identifier (PMID): 17503483
This abstract is part of PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed includes more than 17 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles. See Copyright and Disclaimers.
Linked medical terms appearing on this page are added by Healia to help readers find more information and are not part of the original PubMed document.
The data herein was last updated on July 8th, 2008 and may not reflect the most current and accurate data available from NLM.