Brainstem afferents to the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat

The ascending connections from the brainstem to the dorsal division of the lateral geniculate nucleus were examined using retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. Labelled cells were identified in a variety of structures, including the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT), the posterior pretectal nucleus (NPP), the superior colliculus (SC), the parabigeminal nucleus (PBN), the midbrain reticular formation (MRF), locus coeruleus and nucleus sub-coeruleus, the substantia nigra (SN), and parts of the raphe complex. The projections from NOT, NPP, MRF, LC and PBN were all bilateral in origin. The most intense labelling was observed in the nucleus of the optic tract and the superior colliculus. Colliculo-geniculate cells were located primarily in the superficial gray (lamina II1 and II2 of Kaneseki and Sprague (1974), but sparse labelling was also observed in lamina II3 and in statum opticum (lamina III). Consistent with the report of Harrell et al. (1982), these cells represent a morphologically diverse population, which includes stellate cells, granule cells, and both vertical and horizontal fusiform cells. A similarly diverse population of cell types contributes to the geniculate projection arising from NOT. These results confirm and extend earlier descriptions of the brainstem projections to the cat LGNd, and serve to emphasize the diversity of brainstem influences over the geniculate.