Prefrontal cortex projections to the basilar pons in rhesus monkey: implications for the cerebellar contribution to higher function.

ABSTRACT

The feedforward limb of the cerebrocerebellar system is directed largely through the corticopontine pathway. We determined the extent to which higher order corticopontine projections are derived from prefrontal associative cortices by injecting anterograde tracers into multiple prefrontal regions in rhesus monkeys. Most prefrontopontine projections were derived from the dorsolateral and dorsomedial convexities, including areas 8A, 46 dorsal, 9, and 10; and lighter projections arose from medial and ventrolateral cortices. These findings strengthen the observation that the cerebrocerebellar system incorporates associative cerebral regions, and they enhance the notion that the cerebellum participates in the organization of cognitive function.