ISSN:
1432-1106
Keywords:
Pontine nuclei
;
Cerebellar nuclei
;
Experimental anatomy
;
Cat
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Fibres passing from the intracerebellar nuclei to the pontine nuclei proper have been noted only by few students. In the present study this projection is analysed by mapping with the Nauta (1957) and Fink and Heimer (1967) methods the degeneration which occurs in the pontine nuclei following stereotactically placed electrolytic lesions in different parts of the intracerebellar nuclei in the cat. Cerebellopontine fibres come from the lateral cerebellar nucleus (NL) except its ventralmost part, and from the rostral but probably not from the caudal part of the interpositus anterior (NIA) and the interpositus posterior. The fibres end in three fairly well circumscribed regions of the pontine nuclei: a longitudinal column in the paramedian pontine nucleus, a column in the dorsolateral nucleus and one in the dorsal peduncular nucleus. Fibres from the NL as well as the NIA appear to end in all three regions, but the possibility of a more specific distribution cannot be excluded. Parts of the projection areas in the pons appear to be specific to cerebellar afferents, while other parts overlap with terminations of cerebropontine fibres, especially from SmI and SmII. The findings support the conclusions arrived at in recent studies of the cerebral corticopontine projections by P. Brodal (1968a, 1968b, 1971a, 1971 b) that the pontine nuclei are very precisely organized. The general principles in the organization of the corticopontine and cerebellopontine projections appear to be similar.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00233993
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