Connections of the medial posterior parietal cortex (area 7m) in the monkey.

The afferent and efferent cortical and subcortical connections of the medial posterior parietal cortex (area 7m) were studied in cebus (Cebus apella) and macaque (Macaca fascicularis) monkeys using the retrograde and anterograde capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique. The principal intraparietal corticocortical connections of area 7m in both cebus and macaque cases were with the ipsilateral medial bank of the intraparietal sulcus (MIP) and adjacent superior parietal lobule (area 5), inferior parietal lobule (area 7a), lateral bank of the IPS (area 7ip), caudal parietal operculum (PGop), dorsal bank of the caudal superior temporal sulcus (visual area MST), and medial prestriate cortex (including visual area PO and caudal medial lobule). Its principal frontal corticocortical connections were with the prefrontal cortex in the shoulder above the principal sulcus and the cortex in the shoulder above the superior ramus of the arcuate sulcus (SAS), the area purported to contain the smooth eye movement-related frontal eye field (FEFsem) in the cebus monkey by other investigators. There were moderate connections with the cortex in the rostral bank of the arcuate sulcus (purported to contain the saccade-related frontal eye field; FEFsac), supplementary eye field (SEF), and rostral dorsal premotor area (PMDr). Area 7m also had major connections with the cingulate cortex (area 23), particularly the ventral bank of the cingulate sulcus. The principal subcortical connections of area 7m were with the dorsal portion of the ventrolateral thalamic (VLc) nucleus, lateral posterior thalamic nucleus, lateral pulvinar, caudal mediodorsal thalamic nucleus and medial pulvinar, central lateral, central superior lateral, and central inferior intralaminar thalamic nuclei, dorsolateral caudate nucleus and putamen, middle region of the claustrum, nucleus of the diagonal band, zona incerta, pregeniculate nucleus, anterior and posterior pretectal nuclei, intermediate layer of the superior colliculus, nucleus of Darkschewitsch and dorsomedial parvicellular red nucleus (macaque cases only), dorsal, dorsolateral and lateral basilar pontine nuclei, nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis, locus ceruleus, and superior central nucleus. The findings are discussed in terms of the possibility that area 7m contains a "medial parietal eye field" and belongs to a neural network of oculomotor-related structures that plays a role in the control of eye movement.

Prearcuate cortex in the Cebus monkey has cortical and subcortical connections like the macaque frontal eye field and projects to fastigial-recipient oculomotor-related brainstem nuclei.

The cortical and subcortical connections of the prearcuate cortex were studied in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella, albifrons) using the anterograde and retrograde transport capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase technique. The findings demonstrate remarkable similarities to those of the macaque frontal eye field and strongly support their homology. The report then focuses on specific prearcuate projections to oculomotor-related brainstem nuclei that were shown in a companion experiment to entertain connections with the caudal oculomotor portion of the cerebellar fastigial nucleus. The principal corticocortical connections of the cebus prearcuate cortex were with dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, lateral intraparietal sulcal cortex, posterior medial parietal cortex, and superior temporal sulcal cortex, which were for the most part reciprocal and columnar in organization. The connections of the dorsal prearcuate region were heavier to the dorsomedial prefrontal and posterior medial parietal cortices, and those of the ventral region were heavier to the superior temporal sulcal cortex. The prearcuate cortex projects to several brainstem areas which also receive projections from the caudal fastigial nucleus, including the supraoculomotor periaqueductal gray matter, superior colliculus, medial nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis, dorsomedial basilar pontine nucleus, dorsolateral basilar pontine nucleus, nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, pontine raphe, and nucleus prepositus hypoglossi. The findings define a neuroanatomical framework within which convergence of prearcuate (putative frontal eye field) and caudal fastigial nucleus connections might occur, facilitating their potential interaction in saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movement.

Respiratory failure without pulmonary edema following injection of a glutamate agonist into the ventral medullary raphe of the rat.

Injection of ibotenic acid (IA), a glutamate agonist, into the ventral medullary raphe (VMR; especially the nucleus raphe magnus) of the rat produced respiratory failure and death following a predictable course of events. The response to the IA injection was characterized initially by increased respiratory frequency and was followed by pulmonary arterial hypertension, systemic arterial hypoxemia, acidosis, and hypothermia. Within 90 min apnea occurred as a terminal event in all animals. Gravimetric, bronchoalveolar lavage protein, and histological analyses revealed no evidence of pulmonary edema. Intracerebral (VMR) pretreatment with PPP, a sigma receptor agonist, or scopolamine, a muscarinic cholinergic antagonist, prevented pulmonary failure and death even though postmortem histological analysis showed VMR cell loss and gliosis consequent to the cytotoxic IA injection. Based on the results of the study, it is suggested that the VMR has a role in regulation of pulmonary blood flow. Preliminary pharmacological studies suggested that a disruption of glutamatergic and cholinergic mechanisms mediates the lethal pulmonary phenomenon.

Connections of the caudal cerebellar interpositus complex in a new world monkey (Cebus apella).

The afferent and efferent connections of the cerebellar interpositus complex were studied in a capuchin monkey (Cebus apella) that had received a transcannular horseradish peroxidase implant into the caudal portion of the anterior interpositus nucleus and posterior interpositus nucleus. While the heaviest anterogradely labeled ascending projections were observed to the contralateral ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus, pars oralis (VPLo), efferent projections were also observed to the contralateral ventrolateral thalamic nucleus (VLc) and central lateral (CL) nucleus of the thalamic intralaminar complex, magnocellular (and to a lesser extent parvicellular) red nucleus, nucleus of Darkschewitsch, zona incerta, nucleus of the posterior commissure, lateral intermediate layer and deep layer of the superior colliculus, dorsolateral periaqueductal gray, contralateral nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis and basilar pontine nuclei (especially dorsal and peduncular), and dorsal (DAO) and medial (MAO) accessory olivary nuclei, ipsilateral lateral (external) cuneate nucleus (LCN) and lateral reticular nucleus (LRN), and to a lesser extent the caudal medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and caudal nucleus prepositus hypoglossi (NPH), and dorsal medullary raphe. The heaviest retrograde labeling was corticonuclear Purkinje cells in the paramedian cerebellar cortex lateral to the vermis of lobules IV-VIII. Otherwise, retrogradely labeled sources of afferents were predominantly contralateral in the dorsal, dorsomedial, paramedian, and peduncular sectors of the basilar pons, NRTP, and dorsal accessory (DAO) and medial accessory (MAO) of olivary nuclei, but were predominantly ipsilateral in the LCN, LRN, and in the medullary reticular formation along the roots of the hypoglossal (XII) cranial nerve. It appeared that the connections with the contralateral dorsal basilar pons, NRTP, DAO and MAO, and ipsilateral LCN and LRN are reciprocal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Preoccipital cortex receives a differential input from the frontal eye field and projects to the pretectal olivary nucleus and other visuomotor-related structures in the rhesus monkey.

The bidirectional axonal transport capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique facilitated the study of the frontal-eye-field (FEF) input and pretectal output of two regions of extrastriate preoccipital cortex (POC). Following horseradish peroxidase (HRP) gel implants into the middle and dorsal POC in two rhesus monkeys, the middle POC implant demonstrated retrograde frontal cortical labeling largely restricted to the inferior frontal eye field (iFEF) and adjacent inferior prefrontal convexity, whereas the dorsal POC implant showed labeling in the caudal ventral bank of the superior ramus of the arcuate sulcus (sas) and middle-to-dorsal region of the rostral bank of the concavity of the arcuate sulcus (dorsal FEF). Prominent anterogradely labeled efferent preoccipital projections were observed to the ipsilateral pretectal olivary nucleus (PON) and to a lesser extent the anterior pretectal nucleus. Although the middle POC case had heavier projections to the lateral PON, the dorsal case projected more heavily to the medial PON. In addition, both implants demonstrated subcortical connections with the lateral and dorsal inferior pulvinar nuclei, central superior lateral thalamic intralaminar nucleus, caudate nucleus, and middle-to-ventral claustrum. However, while the middle POC implant had efferent projections to the superficial superior colliculus (SC), pregeniculate nucleus (PGN), lateral terminal accessory optic nucleus (LTN), and dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN), resembling those previously reported for the middle temporal (MT) visual area (Maunsell & Van Essen, 1982; Ungerleider et al., 1984), the dorsal implant had projections to the lateral intermediate SC, zona incerta (ZI), PGN, a notably lesser projection to the LTN, and basilar pontine projections to the lateral and lateral dorsal pontine subnuclei (not including the extreme dorsolateral DLPN). These preliminary results suggest that the preoccipital cortex, which reportedly functions in pupillary constriction, accommodation, and convergence, entertains connections with the PON and other visuomotor-related structures, and thus could act as an intermediary in the pathway between the iFEF and PON, and provide a possible explanation for pupillary effects that occur with stimulation of the FEF (Jampel, 1960) and within the contex of other oculomotor activities. The findings shed light on certain differences in connections of middle vs. dorsal POC with visuomotor-related nuclei, and appear to suggest that the middle region, which receives input from the iFEF, has greater access to the optokinetic (OKN) system by virtue of its projection to the LTN, and to the smooth-pursuit system b

Projections of the medial cerebellar nucleus to oculomotor-related midbrain areas in the rat: an anterograde and retrograde HRP study.

The mesencephalic projections of the medial cerebellar nucleus (MCN) were studied in the rat by using the method of anterograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin/horseradish peroxidase to establish connections of the nucleus with oculomotor-related nuclei as a basis for its proposed role in eye movement. The principal targets of projections were the supraoculomotor ventral periaqueductal gray (PAG) and lateral PAG, and paraoculomotor cell groups (nucleus of Darkschewitsch and medial accessory nucleus of Bechterew). Lesser projections were observed to the intermediate layer of the superior colliculus, nucleus of the posterior commissure, and prerubral field. Following transcannular HRP gel implants into the oculomotor complex that included adjacent paraoculomotor nuclei, the largest number of retrogradely labeled cells was found in the caudal MCN. The findings suggest that the caudal MCN in the rat, like the primate fastigial nucleus, is involved in the control of eye movement.

Afferents of the caudal fastigial nucleus in a New World monkey (Cebus apella).

The afferents of the fastigial nucleus (FN) were studied in two capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) one of which had received a unilateral injection of horseradish peroxidase in the caudal FN, and a second monkey which received a control injection that involved the lateral caudal FN but extended into the cerebellar white matter between the FN and posterior interposed nucleus (PIN). All of the sources of FN afferents were found to be labeled bilaterally. In addition to the restricted distribution of labeled Purkinje cells in lobules VI and VII of the posterior lobe vermis ("oculomotor vermis"), retrogradely labeled cells were present in the dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN), dorsomedial pontine nucleus (DMPN), nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP), pontine raphe (PR), paramedian nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis (NRPC), nucleus prepositus hypoglossi (NPH), subnucleus b of the medial accessory olivary nucleus (sbMAO), and vestibular complex (VC). The second (control) injection appeared to confirm a proposed (Langer et al. 1985b) projection from the flocculus to the basal interstitial nucleus. The results are discussed in terms of the functional relationships of the FN to the frontal eye field and oculomotor-related brainstem structures involved in the production of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements.

Inferior frontal eye field projections to the pursuit-related dorsolateral pontine nucleus and middle temporal area (MT) in the monkey.

Inferior frontal eye field (FEF) projections to the dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN), and corticocortical connections with the superior temporal sulcal (STS) cortex, were studied in five macaque monkeys which had received horseradish peroxidase (HRP) gel implants into the inferior prearcuate cortex (including area 45 of Walker, 1940). These connections were contrasted with those from the dorsal FEF (area 8a) in another macaque monkey. Findings of heavy inferior FEF projections to the ipsilateral DLPN (light to the contralateral DLPN) and reciprocal connections with the deep caudal bank and fundus of the superior temporal sulcus (STS), presumed to be the middle temporal (MT) visual area (Maunsell & Van Essen, 1983a), appeared to go hand in hand with more pronounced projections to the stratum superficialis of the superior colliculus (SC). In contrast, the HRP gel implant in the dorsal prearcuate cortex (area 8a of Walker, 1940) resulted in only very light projections to the ipsilateral DLPN, more pronounced projections to the dorsomedial pontine nucleus (DMPN), almost no projection to the stratum superficialis (SS), and more pronounced reciprocal connections with the upper bank of the STS, presumed to be the medial superior temporal (MST) area (Maunsell & Van Essen, 1983a). Both the inferior and dorsal FEF also had extensive reciprocal connections with the ventral intraparietal area (VIP; Maunsell & Van Essen, 1983a) in the caudal bank of the intraparietal sulcus. The correlated projections of the inferior FEF to the DLPN, MT area, and SS may explain its reported role in smooth pursuit (Lynch, 1987), in addition to its well-established role in the production of voluntary purposeful saccadic eye movements (Bruce et al., 1985).

Afferent and efferent connections of the cholinoceptive medial pontine reticular formation (region of the ventral tegmental nucleus) in the cat.

Following minor concussive brain injury when there is an otherwise general suppression of CNS activity, the ventral tegmental nucleus of Gudden (VTN) demonstrates increased functional activity (32). Electrical or pharmacological activation of a cholinoceptive region in this same general area of the medial pontine tegmentum contributes to certain components of reversible traumatic unconsciousness, including postural atonia (31, 32, 45). Therefore, in an effort to examine the neuroanatomical basis of the behavioral suppression associated with a reversible traumatic unconsciousness, the afferent and efferent connections of the VTN and putative cholinoceptive medial pontine reticular formation (cmPRF) were studied in the cat using the retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP), HRP/choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) double-labeling immunohistochemistry, and anterograde HRP and autoradiographic techniques. Based upon retrograde HRP labeling, the principal afferents to the VTN region of the cmPRF originated from the medial and lateral mammillary nuclei, and lateral habenular nucleus, and to a lesser extent from the interpeduncular nucleus, lateral hypothalamus, dorsal tegmental nucleus, superior central nucleus, and contralateral nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis. Other afferents, which were thought to have been labeled through spread of HRP into the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF), adjacent paramedian pontine reticular formation, or uptake by transected fibers descending to the inferior olive, included the nucleus of Darkschewitsch, interstitial nucleus of Cajal, zona incerta, prerubral fields of Forel, deep superior colliculus, nucleus of the posterior commissure, nucleus cuneiformis, ventral periaqueductal gray, vestibular complex, perihypoglossal complex, and deep cerebellar nuclei. In HRP/ChAT double labeling studies, only a very small number of cholinergic VTN afferent neurons were found in the medial parabrachial region of the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum, although the pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei contained numerous single-labeled ChAT-positive cells. Anterograde HRP and autoradiographic findings demonstrated that the VTN gave rise almost exclusively to ascending projections, which largely followed the course of the mammillary peduncle (16,21) and medial forebrain bundle, or the tegmentopeduncular tract (4). The majority of fibers ascended to terminate in the medial and lateral mammillary nuclei, interpeduncular complex (especially paramedian subnucleus), ventral tegmental area, lateral hypothalamus, and the medial septum in the basal forebrain. Labeling that joined the mammillothalamic tract to terminate in the anterior nuclear complex of the thalamus was thought to occur transneuronally. Some projections were also observed to nucleus reticularis pontis oralis and caudalis, superior central nucleus, and dorsal tegmental nucleus adjacent to the VTN...

Origin of cerebellar projections to the region of the oculomotor complex, medial pontine reticular formation, and superior colliculus in New World monkeys: a retrograde horseradish peroxidase study.

Cerebellar projections to oculomotor-related brainstem regions were studied in four groups of New World (capuchin, squirrel) monkeys by using the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to determine the origin of the principal cerebellar influence on eye movement. Group A monkeys had HRP injections or transcannular HRP gel implants into the oculomotor complex (OMC), the largest of which involved adjacent paraoculomotor nuclei (e.g., ventral periaqueductal gray, PAG; nucleus of Darkschewitsch, ND; medial accessory nucleus of Bechterew, MAB; dorsomedial parvicellular red nucleus, dmPRN). All of these cases contained large numbers of retrogradely labeled cells in cell group Y. Whereas the smallest OMC injection only labeled a few cells in the dentate nucleus (DN), injections involving paraoculomotor nuclei produced labeling in all of the cerebellar nuclei except the basal interstitial nucleus (BIN). Injections extending into the ND and MAB produced particularly heavy labeling within the interposed nuclei. Group B monkeys had injections/implants into the medial pontine tegmentum and dorsomedial basilar pons. The pontine tegmental cases contained labeled cells in all cerebellar nuclei, but the DN was the most heavily labeled when the implant involved the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP). Cases with injections into the caudal medial pontine tegmentum (nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, NRPC), including the physiological paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF), but not NRTP, contained the largest number of labeled cells in the fastigial nucleus (FN) and lacked retrograde labeling in the DN. Dorsomedial basilar pontine cases contained almost no labeled cells in the FN, anterior interpositus nucleus (AIN), and posterior interpositus nucleus (PIN) but did contain DN labeling when the injection involved the NRTP. Two dorsomedial pontine tegmental cases and one dorsomedial basilar pontine case had more labeled cells in the BIN than in other cases. Tegmental cases also contained a few labeled cells in cell group Y. Group C monkeys had injections into the parvicellular red nucleus (PRN) and had their heaviest labeling in the DN, although the AIN and PIN also contained labeled cells. The FN, BIN, and cell group Y, on the other hand, contained almost no labeling. Group D consisted of monkeys which had injections into the intermediate and deep superior colliculus (SC). These cases contained the largest numbers of labeled cells in the PIN and a lesser number in the ventrolateral FN. The DN, AIN, BIN, and cell group Y lacked labeled neurons in these cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Higher centers concerned with eye movement and visual attention: cerebral cortex and thalamus.

A comparison of the connectivity and physiology of the frontal and parietal eye fields, showing a closer relationship between the frontal eye fields and oculomotor processing than for the parietal region. The involvement of thalamic regions in the generation of eye movements is also reviewed.

The origin of brainstem afferents of the paramedian pontine reticular formation in the cat.

Transcannular microinjections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were made into the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF) in adult cats to determine the origin of the principal sources of inputs to this important preoculomotor center for the production of saccadic eye movements. Retrogradely labeled cells were observed in numerous oculomotor-related structures, including the prerubral field (rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus), nucleus of Darkschewitsch, nucleus of the posterior commissure, deep superior colliculus, supraoculomotor ventral periaqueductal gray, contralateral paramedian pontine reticular formation, pontine raphe and dorsal medial pontine tegmentum medial to the abducens nucleus (purported to contain omnipause neurons), cell group Y, and the perihypoglossal complex (nucleus prepositus hypoglossi). Other sources of afferents to the region included the zona incerta, lateral and medial habenular nuclei, medial hypothalamus, medial mammillary nucleus, nucleus cuneiformis, medial medullary reticular formation, and the medial and lateral cerebellar nuclei. The results are discussed in terms of the potential influence of these nuclei on the control of eye movement.

Frontal projections to the region of the oculomotor complex in the rat: a retrograde and anterograde HRP study.

The retrograde and anterograde capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique were employed to study frontal projections to the perioculomotor region in the rat. Following HRP microinjections or transcannular HRP gel implants into the oculomotor complex (OMC), the majority of retrogradely labeled pyramidal cells were located in lamina V of the dorsomedial frontal shoulder cortex, i.e., medial precentral and anterior cingulate (PrCm/AC) cortices, the proposed frontal eye field (FEF) in the rat. A smaller number of labeled cells were present in the frontal polar cortex, agranular insular (AI), and lateral precentral (PrCl) cortices. Following HRP gel implants into the PrCM/Ac, anterogradely labeled projections were observed to the dorsal medial subthalamic region (nucleus campi Foreli, NCF) and medial accessory nucleus of Bechterew (MAB), and to other subcortical nuclei known to receive inputs from cortical area 8 in the monkey. These results, taken together with previous anatomical and physiological studies, support the conclusion that the PrCm/AC cortex contains the rat FEF. Its homology with the primate FEF is discussed.

The frontal eye field and prefrontal cortex project to the paramedian pontine reticular formation in the cat.

Transcannular microinjections of horseradish peroxidase were made into the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF) in adult cats to identify regions of the cerebral cortex having direct influence on this important center for the production of saccadic eye movements. The majority of retrogradely labeled cortico-(ponto)reticular neurons were located in lamina V of the dorsomedial precruciate shoulder cortex and presylvian sulcal cortex, the medial and lateral frontal eye fields of the cat respectively. In most cases, labeled cells also extended into the gyrus proreus, the cat prefrontal cortex.

Collateralization of frontal eye field (medial precentral/anterior cingulate) neurons projecting to the paraoculomotor region, superior colliculus, and medial pontine reticular formation in the rat: a fluorescent double-labeling study.

Paired injections of fluorescent tracers (True Blue, Diamidino-Yellow) were made into the oculomotor complex (OMC) and medial pontine reticular formation (mPRF), and superior colliculus (SC) and mPRF, in adult rats to retrogradely label the cortical cells of origin of projections to these oculomotor-related brainstem structures. While large numbers of single-labeled cells in the medial frontal cortex projected only to the mPRF, the presence of many double-labeled cells in the dorsomedial shoulder cortex (medial precentral/anterior cingulate areas), the rat frontal eye field (FEF), indicated that this cortical region contains lamina V pyramid neurons whose axons collateralize to project to the region of the OMC, SC, and mPRF. The similarities of rat and monkey FEF connections, and their relevance to the control of eye movement, are discussed.

Collateralization of cerebellar efferent projections to the paraoculomotor region, superior colliculus, and medial pontine reticular formation in the rat: a fluorescent double-labeling study.

Collateralization of cerebellar efferent projections to the oculomotor region, superior colliculus (SC), and medial pontine reticular formation (mPRF) was studied in rats using fluorescent tracer substances. In one group, True Blue (TB) was injected into the oculomotor complex (OMC), including certain paraoculomotor nuclei and supraoculomotor ventral periaqueductal gray (PAG), and Diamidino Yellow (DY) was injected into the medial pontine reticular formation (mPRF) or pontine raphe. The largest number of single-TB-labeled (paraoculomotor-projecting) cells was observed in the medial cerebellar nucleus (MCN) and posterior interposed nucleus (PIN), whereas the largest number of single-DY-labeled (mPRF-projecting) cells was in the MCN. Double-TB/DY-labeled cells were present in the caudal two-thirds of the MCN, suggesting that some MCN neurons send divergent axon collaterals to the paraoculomotor region and mPRF. In another group, TB was injected into the SC and DY into the mPRF. The largest number of single-TB-labeled (SC-projecting) cells was in the PIN, although a considerable number of cells was observed in the caudal MCN, and ventral lateral cerebellar nucleus (LCN). Single-DY-labeled (mPRF-projecting) neurons were primarily located in the central and ventral MCN, but were also present in the lateral anterior interposed (AIN) and in the LCN. Double-TB/DY-labeled neurons were observed in the caudal two-thirds of the MCN and in the central portion of the LCN. The most significant new findings of the study concerned the MCN, which not only contained neurons that projected independently to the paraoculomotor region, SC, and mPRF, but also contained a considerable number of cells which collateralized to project to more than one of these nuclei. The possibility that the MCN projects to the supraoculomotor ventral PAG (containing an oculomotor interneuron system) and to the mPRF, which in the cat and monkey contain neural elements essential to the production of saccadic eye movements, is discussed. The anatomical findings suggest that the MCN in the rat plays an important role in eye movement.

Afferent and efferent connections of the dorsolateral precentral gyrus (area 4, hand/arm region) in the macaque monkey, with comparisons to area 8.

The afferent and efferent connections of the dorsolateral precentral gyrus, the primary motor cortex for control of the upper extremity, were studied by using the retrograde and anterograde capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique in three adult macaque monkeys that had received HRP gel implants in this cortical region. Reciprocal corticocortical connections were observed primarily with the supplementary motor area (SMA) in medial premotor area 6 and dorsal bank of the cingulate sulcus, postarcuate area 6 cortex, dorsal cingulate cortex (area 24), superior parietal lobule (area 5, PE/PEa), and inferior parietal lobule (area 7b, PF/PFop, including the secondary somatosensory SII region). In these heavily labeled regions, the associational intrahemispheric afferents originated primarily from small and medium sized pyramidal cells in layer III, but also from layer V. The SMA projections were columnar in organization. Intrahemispheric afferents from contralateral homologous and nonhomologous frontal and cingulate cortices also originated predominantly from layer III, but the connections from contralateral area 4 were almost exclusively from layer III. The bilateral connections with premotor frontal area 6 and cingulate cortices were not observed with parietal regions; i.e., only ipsilateral intrahemispheric parietal corticocortical connections were observed. There were no significant connections with prearcuate area 8 or the granular frontal (prefrontal) cortex. Subcortical afferents originated primarily from the nucleus basalis of Meynert, dorsal claustrum, ventral lateral (VLo and VLc), area X, ventral posterolateral pars oralis (VPLo), central lateral and centromedian thalamic nuclei, lateral hypothalamus, pedunculopontine nucleus, locus ceruleus and subceruleus, and superior central and dorsal raphe nuclei. Lesser numbers of retrogradely labeled neurons were observed in the nucleus of the diagonal band, mediodorsal (MD), paracentral, and central superior lateral thalamic nuclei, nucleus limitans, nucleus annularis, and the mesencephalic and pontine reticular formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The frontal eye field projects to the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi in the monkey.

Following horseradish peroxidase gel implants in prearcuate cortex involving the frontal eye field (area 8) in Old and New World monkeys, bilateral anterograde labelling was observed in the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, an important preoculomotor nucleus.

Cortical projections to nuclei adjacent to the oculomotor complex in the medial dien-mesencephalic tegmentum in the monkey.

Cortical projections to cell groups surrounding the oculomotor complex were studied by using the retrograde and anterograde capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique in old and new world monkeys. Fluid HRP injections or transcannular solid polyacrylamide HRP gel implants were made into the oculomotor nucleus (OMN) and adjacent nuclei to label retrogradely corticofugal neurons that project to this region, and cortical HRP gel implants were made in various areas of the frontal lobe to label anterogradely the trajectories and terminations of cortico-paraoculomotor projections and thus to confirm the retrograde findings. Projections to the paraoculomotor cell groups in the medial dien-mesencephalic tegmentum originate almost exclusively from the frontal lobe. Both retrograde and anterograde studies confirmed that the prearcuate cortex in the concavity of the arcuate sulcus, including the frontal eye field, and, to a lesser extent, suprarcuate rostral dorsal area 6 cortex and the dorsomedial convexity (area 9), project to the rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (riMLF) in the dorsal region of the prerubral field, nucleus of Darkschewitsch (ND), medial accessory nucleus of Bechterew (NB) and dorsomedial parvocellular red nucleus (dmPRN). The premotor area 6 and motor area 4 cortex, on the other hand, give rise to projections that target a larger portion of the parvocellular red nucleus, extending rostrally into the ventral region of the prerubral field, and a rather intense projection to the ND. The interstitial nucleus of Cajal (IC) was distinguished more by its light, or lack of, projections from the frontal cortex. The inferior parietal lobule (IPL, area 7) which has certain common physiological properties with the frontal eye field (FEF area 8) related to the oculomotor system, lacked retrogradely labeled neurons in all cases where transcannular gel implants into the OMN eliminated the possibility of HRP uptake in the corpus callosum or other structures traversed in needle injections, suggesting that the IPL affects eye movement primarily through its rostrally directed corticocortical associational connections with the FEF. In additional cases, the ND-NB-dmPRN configuration of cells that receives FEF input is shown to project to the inferior olivary complex (i.e., is pre-olivo-cerebellar), whereas riMLF and IC give rise to descending projections in the MLF, which target extraocular muscle motor nuclei, vestibular complex, and spinal cord. The results are discussed in terms of the potential role of the cerebral cortex in eye movement mechanisms.

Cortical projections to the paramedian tegmental and basilar pons in the monkey.

The efferent connections of the cerebral cortex to paramedial tegmental and basilar pons were studied in the monkey by using the retrograde and orthograde capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique. Six capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) received transcannular pontine HRP gel implants to retrogradely label the cells of origin of corticopontine projections. Four additional capuchin monkeys, one rhesus (Macaca mulatta), and one cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis) monkey, received HRP gel implants in premotor (area 6), frontal eye field (FEF, area 8), superior (area 5), and inferior (area 7) parietal lobules to orthogradely label the course and termination of corticopontine projections, and thus to confirm the retrograde studies. The brains were processed according to the tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) protocol of Mesulam ('78) and studied with darkfield microscopy. Premotor (area 6) frontal cortex and FEF (area 8) were found to be the main sources of cortical inputs to the ipsilateral paramedian basilar pons, whereas FEF, dorsal prefrontal convexity, and dorsal medial prefrontal (granular frontal association) cortex were the main sources of bilateral projections to the paramedian pontine tegmentum. The medial portion of the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP), considered to be a tegmental extension of the basilar pontine gray, also received its principal cortical input from the frontal lobe. Parietal cortex, on the other hand, was observed to project to lateral NRTP and lateral basilar pons. Although the possibility exists of convergence of frontal and parietal eye field efferents in the NRTP, the frontal eye field and prefrontal cortex appear to be the principal source of cortical projections to the paramedian pontine tegmentum, which contains the physiologically defined PPRF (paramedian pontine reticular formation), an important preoculomotor center. The results are discussed primarily with regard to their significance for potential cortical influence on the oculomotor system.