Local cerebral glucose utilization in the neocortical areas of the rat brain

The neocortex of the rat brain can be subdivided into regions of different local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU). However, only a few neocortical areas can be delineated by differences in mean LCGUs between neighbouring areas. These area borders correspond exactly with cytoarchitectonically defined borders found in adjacent Nissl-stained preparations. On the other hand, nearly all of the architectonically defined area borders are also recognizable in the LCGU pictures, if differences in laminar distribution patterns of LCGU are taken into account. Furthermore, interareal differences in mean LCGU mainly reflect changes in layer IV, whereas layers II-III and V-VI show nearly identical LCGU values in all neocortical areas of the rat brain. The primary sensory areas exhibit the highest LCGU in layer IV, while the primary motor cortex shows a high LCGU in layer V. As the cytoarchitectonically defined pattern of the cortex is generally corroborated by the regional and laminar LCGU distribution, anatomical, metabolic and functional aspects of cortical architecture are associated.