Intrinsic connections in the caudal subdivision of the dorsolateral visual area (DL(C)) in squirrel monkeys

Patterns of intrinsic connections and features of individual intrinsic axons in the caudal subdivision of the dorsolateral visual area (DL(C)) were investigated in four squirrel monkeys (Saimiri) following extracellular injections of the tracers biocytin, biotinylated dextran amine, and wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Injections were defined in DL(C) by reference to architectonic borders and patterns of connections with other cortical areas. Intrinsic connections extended up to 6 mm from an injection and were usually anisotropic, extending farther dorsoventrally than anteroposteriorly. Injections that involved the supragranular layers produced up to 20 mainly supragranular patches of projections that had a width of 285 +/- 8 microm (mean +/- standard error) and area of 0.125 +/- 0.016 mm(2). Seventy-four intrinsic axon segments with a total of 3,290 boutons were drawn and their bouton spacing measured. The sample included axons in layers 1, 2-3, 5, and multiple (>2) layers; horizontally and vertically oriented axons; and axons in an injection halo, patch, or nonpatch region of projections. There were no differences in bouton spacing for axons in halo, patch, or nonpatch regions. Layer 1 axons (n = 7) had a significantly sparser distribution of boutons (median interbouton interval of 45.2 +/- 17.8 microm) than the layers 2-3 (n = 35) and layer 5 axons (n = 26), which did not differ in bouton spacing (median interbouton intervals of 8.1 +/- 0.4 microm and 8.4 +/- 0.8 microm, respectively). Patterns of intrinsic connections in DL(C) are related to neural organization and properties reported for DL or visual area V4, and are compared to intrinsic connections of other areas.