Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2025
10:45
Double In Utero Electroporation to Target Temporally and Spatially Separated Cell Populations
Published on: June 14, 2020
7.6K
Crossed Connections From Insular Cortex to the Contralateral Thalamus
Tolulope Adeyelu1, Tanya Gandhi1, Charles C Lee1
1Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States.
Frontiers in Neural Circuits
|December 24, 2021
Summary
Researchers discovered a novel contralateral corticothalamic projection from the insular cortex. This finding challenges the traditional view of unilateral sensory processing, suggesting a bilateral mechanism for refining sensory information.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Processing
- Cortical Circuits
Background:
- Thalamus processes sensory information before cortical transmission.
- Descending corticothalamic projections modulate thalamic sensory processing.
- These loops are typically considered unilateral.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential contralateral corticothalamic projections.
- To characterize the origin and targets of such projections.
- To challenge the canonical view of unilateral sensory thalamo-cortico-thalamic loops.
Main Methods:
- Retrograde tracing techniques.
- Cre-lox mediated viral anterograde tracing.
- Utilized the Ntsr1-Cre transgenic mouse line.
Main Results:
- Identified a prominent contralateral corticothalamic projection from the insular cortex.
- Demonstrated that this contralateral projection arises from distinct layer 6 neurons compared to ipsilateral projections.
- Showed that the contralateral projection targets a topographically separate thalamic subregion.
Conclusions:
- The insular cortex engages in bilateral modulation of thalamic sensory processing.
- This contralateral pathway offers a unique mechanism for top-down refinement of ascending sensory information.
- Challenges the established model of strictly unilateral sensory thalamo-cortico-thalamic communication.
Keywords:
VPMpcchemosensationcontralateral connectionscorticothalamic circuitryinsular cortex (IC)interoceptionnociceptionthalamusMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay
2.5K
The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological...
2.5K
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
6.7K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
6.7K
01:24Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
1.2K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
1.2K
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
1.4K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
1.4K
01:29Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
6.3K
Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
6.3K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
5.1K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
5.1K