Nurturing the cortex's thalamic nature

Neocortical and thalamic interactions are necessary for the execution of complex sensory-motor tasks and associated cognitive processes. Investigation of thalamocortical circuit development is therefore critical to understand developmental disorders involving abnormal cortical function. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of thalamus-dependent cortical patterning and cortical neuron differentiation.

Although the principles of cortical map patterning are increasingly understood, the extent to which thalamocortical inputs contribute to cortical neuron differentiation is still unclear. The recent development of genetic models allowing cell-type-specific dissection of cortical input pathways has shed light on some of the input-dependent and activity-dependent processes occurring during cortical development, which are discussed here.

These recent studies have revealed interwoven links between thalamic and cortical neurons, in which cell intrinsic differentiation programs are tightly regulated by synaptic input during a prolonged period of development. Challenges in the years to come will be to identify the mechanisms underlying the reciprocal interactions between intrinsic and extrinsic differentiation programs, and their contribution to neurodevelopmental disorders and neuropsychiatric disorders at large.