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Connections of the anterior ectosylvian visual area (AEV)

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Summary

We have previously described a visual area situated in the cortex surrounding the deep infolding of the anterior ectosylvian sulcus of the cat (Mucke et al. 1982). Using orthograde and retrograde transport methods we now report anatomical evidence that this anterior ectosylvian visual area (AEV) is connected with a substantial number of both cortical and subcortical regions. The connections between AEV and other cortical areas are reciprocal and, at least in part, topographically organized: the rostral AEV is connected with the bottom region of the presylvian sulcus, the lower bank of the cruciate sulcus, the rostral part of the ventral bank of the splenial sulcus, the rostral portion of the lateral suprasylvian visual area (LS) and the lateral bank of the posterior rhinal sulcus; the caudal AEV is connected with the bottom region of the presylvian sulcus, the caudal part of LS, the ventral part of area 20 and the lateral bank of the posterior rhinal sulcus. Subcortically, AEV has reciprocal connections with the ventral medial thalamic nucleus (VM), with the medial part of the lateralis posterior nucleus (LPm), as well as with the lateralis medialis-suprageniculate nuclear (LM-Sg) complex. These connections are also topographically organized with more rostral parts of AEV being related to more ventral portions of the LPm and LM-Sg complex. AEV also projects to the caudate nucleus, the putamen, the lateral amygdaloid nucleus, the superior colliculus, and the pontine nuclei. It is concluded that AEV is a visual association area which functionally relates the visual with both the motor and the limbic system and that it might play a role in the animal's orienting and alerting behavior.

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Abbreviations

Ac:

aqueductus cerebri

AEs:

anterior ectosylvian sulcus

ALLS:

anterolateral lateral suprasylvian area

AMLS:

anteromedial lateral suprasylvian area

ASs:

anterior suprasylvian sulcus

Cd:

caudate nucleus

CL:

central lateral nucleus

Cl:

claustrum

Cos:

coronal sulcus

Crs:

cruciate sulcus

DLS:

dorsal lateral suprasylvian area

GI:

stratum griseum intermediale

GP:

stratum griseum profundum

IC:

inferior colliculus

LAm:

lateral amygdaloid nucleus

LGNd:

dorsal nucleus of lateral geniculate body

LGNv:

ventral nucleus of lateral geniculate body

Llc:

nucleus lateralis intermedius, pars caudalis

LM:

nucleus lateralis medialis

LPl:

nucleus lateralis posterior, pars lateralis

LPm:

nucleus lateralis posterior, pars medialis

Ls:

lateral sulcus

MD:

nucleus mediodorsalis

MG:

medial geniculate body

MSs:

middle suprasylvian sulcus

Ndl:

nucleus dorsolateralis pontis

Nl:

nucleus lateralis pontis

Np:

nucleus peduncularis pontis

Npm:

nucleus paramedianus pontis

Nrt:

nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis

Nv:

nucleus ventralis pontis

Ped:

cerebral peduncle

PEs:

posterior ectosylvian sulcus

Pg:

periaqueductal gray

PLLS:

posterolateral lateral suprasylvian area

PMLS:

posteromedial lateral suprasylvian area

PSs:

presylvian sulcus

Pul:

pulvinar

Put:

putamen

R:

red nucleus

Sg:

suprageniculate nucleus

SN:

substantia nigra

Sps:

splenial sulcus

Syls:

sylvian sulcus

T:

trapezoid body

VA:

ventral anterior nucleus

VL:

ventral lateral nucleus

VLS:

ventral lateral suprasylvian area

VM:

ventral medial nucleus

VPL:

ventral posterolateral nucleus

VPM:

ventral posteromedial nucleus

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Sponsored by Max-Planck-Society during part of the study

Sponsored by Thyssen Foundation

Sponsored by Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation

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Norita, M., Mucke, L., Benedek, G. et al. Connections of the anterior ectosylvian visual area (AEV). Exp Brain Res 62, 225–240 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238842

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238842

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