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Reestablishing the Chemoarchitectural Borders Based on Electrophysiological and Connectivity Data
Ricardo Gattass1, Juliana G M Soares1, Bruss Lima1
1Laboratory of Cognitive Physiology, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Advances in Anatomy, Embryology, and Cell Biology
|November 9, 2017
Summary
Visuotopic maps and pulvinar chemoarchitecture show poor agreement, with some overlap for P1 and P3 across primate evolution. Differences in P2 exist between Old and New World monkeys, impacting pulvinar organization understanding.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Anatomy
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- The pulvinar nucleus is crucial for visual processing, but its subdivisions remain debated.
- Discrepancies exist between functional (visuotopic) and structural (chemoarchitectural) maps of the pulvinar.
- Understanding these differences is key to deciphering pulvinar organization and evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the agreement between visuotopic maps and chemoarchitectural subdivisions of the pulvinar.
- To compare these organizational principles between New and Old World monkeys.
- To evaluate the evolutionary trajectory of pulvinar organization.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings to define visuotopic maps (P1, P2, P3, P4).
- Chemoarchitectural analysis to delineate pulvinar subdivisions (nucleus pulvinaris inferior - PI, pulvinar lateralis - PL).
- Comparative analysis across primate species (New World vs. Old World monkeys).
Main Results:
- Partial agreement was found between electrophysiologically defined P1 and chemoarchitectural PI (lateral/central portions).
- Colocalization observed between P3 and the medial portion of PI in both primate groups.
- P2 was identified in Old World monkeys but absent in New World monkeys.
- P4 showed partial spatial agreement with the dorsal portion of PL.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights significant discordance between functional and chemoarchitectural pulvinar maps.
- Evolutionary divergence is evident, particularly concerning the P2 representation.
- Further research is needed to reconcile these different mapping approaches for a comprehensive understanding of the pulvinar.
