On the absence of a rubrothalamic projection in the monkey with observations on some ascending mesencephalic...

In order to determine whether there is a rubrothalamic projection in the rhesus monkey, the ascending degeneration resulting from electrolytic lesions made in the red nucleus and adjacent mesencephalon in animals surviving at least one year after bilateral interruption of the superior cerebellar peduncles (PCS) was studied by means of the Fink-Heimer technique. In a necessary preliminary step it was shown that virtually all of the degeneration disappeared from the thalamus within twelve months after PCS interruption so that degeneration resulting from the subsequent electrolytic mesencephalic lesions could be attributed to interruption of non-cerebellar ascending fibres. The results show that degeneration was present in the thalamus following the electrolyte mesencephalic-diencephalic lesions but it could be accounted for on the basis of damage either to residual PCS fibres, to somatosensory pathways, to intrathalamic connections or to cell groups or projection fibres of the reticular formation, substantia nigra or globus pallidus. It is concluded that there is no direct rubrothalamic projection in the monkey and, in particular, no evidence of a projection from the red nucleus to the ventral lateral or ventral anterior thalamic nuclei. The results also indicate that the mesencephalic reticular formation is the main source of ascending afferents to the nucelus reticularis thalami. Some observations were made concerning nigrostriatal and nigrothalamic projections. Retrograde cell changes resulting from unilateral lesions made caudal to the red nucleus were studied in three animals. The observed cell changes are interpreted as being consistent with the conclusion that there is no rubrothalamic projection.