Thalamocaudate projections in the macaque monkey (a horseradish peroxidase study)

The distribution of thalamocaudate neurons was studied in four macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta) using the method of retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP Sigma VI) transport following previous aspiration of part of the frontal cortex and subcortical white matter covering the head of the caudate nucleus. After HRP injections into the head of the caudate nucleus we found retrogradely labelled neurons mainly in the intralaminar nuclei (nc. paracentralis, nc. centralis lateralis, nc. parafascicularis) and in the midline nuclei (nc. parataenialis, nc. centralis pars densocellularis, nc. centralis superior, nc. centralis intermedialis, nc. centralis inferior, nc. reuniens). Some labelled neurons were seen in the anterior thalamic nuclei (nc. anterodorsalis, nc. anteromedialis, nc. anteroventralis). In the ventral thalamus labelled neurons were seen in the nc. ventralis anterior (pars magnocellularis) and in the nc. ventralis lateralis (pars medialis). Some labelled neurons were distributed in the marginal parts of the nc. mediodorsalis. As for the caudal portion of the thalamus, labelled neurons were found in the nc. pulvinaris medialis and nc. limitans. The thalamocaudate projection is an exclusively ipsilateral projection system. The position of the thalamocaudate neurons coincides, to a certain degree, with the termination intrathalamic area of the nigrothalamic and tectothalamic projections arising from the deep layers of the superior colliculus.