Biomedical subjects

L A Krubitzer

Publications and source records attributed to L A Krubitzer.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1987

Frontal eye field as defined by intracortical microstimulation in squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, and macaque monkeys. II. Cortical connections.

Physiological (intracortical microstimulation) and anatomical (transport of horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin as shown by tetramethyl benzidine) approaches were combined in the same animals to reveal the locations, extents, and cortical connections of the frontal eye fields (FEF) in squirrel, owl, and macaque monkeys. In some of the same owl and macaque monkeys, intracortical microstimulation was also used to evoke eye movements from dorsomedial frontal cortex (the supplementary motor area). In addition, in all of the owl and squirrel monkeys, intracortical microstimulation was also used to evoke body movements from the premotor and motor cortex situated between the central dimple and the FEF. These microstimulation data were directly compared to the distribution of anterogradely and retrogradely transported label resulting from injections of tracer into the FEF in each monkey. Since the injection sites were limited to the physiologically defined FEF, the demonstrated connections were solely those of the FEF. To aid in the interpretation of areal patterns of connections, the relatively smooth cortex of owl and squirrel monkeys was unfolded, flattened, and cut parallel to the flattened surface. Cortex of macaque monkeys, which has numerous deep sulci, was cut coronally. Reciprocal connections with the ipsilateral frontal lobe were similar in all three species: dorsomedial cortex (supplementary motor area), cortex just rostral (periprincipal prefrontal cortex) to the FEF, and cortex just caudal (premotor cortex) to the FEF. In squirrel and owl monkeys, extensive reciprocal connections were made with cortex throughout the caudal half of the lateral fissure and, to a much lesser extent, cortex around the superior temporal sulcus. In macaque monkeys, only sparse connections were present with cortex of the lateral fissure, but extensive and dense connections were made with cortex throughout the caudal one-third to one-half of the superior temporal sulcus. In addition, very dense reciprocal connections were made with the cortex of the lateral, or inferior, bank of the intraparietal sulcus. Contralateral reciprocal connections in all three species were virtually limited to regions that correspond in location to the FEF and the supplementary motor area. The results of this study reveal connections between the physiologically defined frontal eye field and cortical regions known to participate in higher order visual processing, short-term memory, multimodal, visuomotor, and skeletomotor functions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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PubMed1986

Frontal eye field as defined by intracortical microstimulation in squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, and macaque monkeys: I. Subcortical connections.

Intracortical microstimulation was used to define the borders of the frontal eye fields in squirrel, owl, and macaque monkeys. The borders were marked with electrolytic lesions, and horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin was injected within the field. Following tetramethyl benzidine histochemistry, afferent and efferent connections of the frontal eye field with subcortical structures were studied. Most connections were ipsilateral and were similar in all primates studied. These include reciprocal connections with the following nuclei: medial dorsal (lateral parts), ventral anterior (especially with pars magnocellularis), central lateral, paracentral, ventral lateral, parafascicular, medial pulvinar, limitans, and suprageniculate. The frontal eye field also projects to the ipsilateral pretectal nuclei, subthalamic nucleus, nucleus of the posterior commissure, superior colliculus (especially layer four), zona incerta, rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus, nucleus Darkschewitsch, dorsomedial parvocellular red nucleus, interstitial nucleus of Cajal, basilar pontine nuclei, and bilaterally to the paramedian pontine reticular formation and the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis. Many of these structures also receive input from deeper layers of the superior colliculus and are known to participate in visuomotor function. These results reveal connections that account for the parallel influence of the superior colliculus and the frontal eye field on visuomotor function; suggest that there has been little evolutionary change in subcortical connections, and therefore function, of the frontal eye fields since the time that these lines of primates diverged; and support the conclusion that the frontal eye fields are homologous in New and Old World monkeys.

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PubMed1986

Microelectrode maps, myeloarchitecture, and cortical connections of three somatotopically organized representations of the body surface in the parietal cortex of squirrels.

Microelectrode mapping methods and anatomical procedures were combined in the same animals to reveal the cortical connections of three architectonically distinct representations of the body surface in the somatosensory cortex of grey squirrels. In individual experiments, microelectrode multiunit recordings were used to determine the somatotopic organization of regions of the cortex and to identify sites for injections of the anatomical tracer, wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. After the brains were perfused, the cortex was separated from the brainstem, flattened, and cut parallel to the flattened surface to facilitate comparisons of areal connection patterns, physiological data, and architectonic subdivisions. Recordings in the primary (S-I) and secondary (S-II) somatosensory fields confirmed earlier descriptions of the somatotopic organization of these fields (Sur et al.: J. Comp. Neurol. 179:425-450, '78; Nelson et al.: J. Comp. Neurol. 184:473-490, '79). In addition, recordings in the cortex caudal to S-I and ventral to S-II revealed a third representation of the body surface in parietal cortex, the parietal ventral area (PV). Neurons in PV were responsive to light tactile stimulation of skin and hairs. Multiple unit receptive fields of neurons in PV were larger than those for neurons in S-I but similar in size to those for neurons in S-II. PV represented the contralateral body surface in a somatotopic manner that can be roughly characterized as an inverted "homunculus" with the limbs directed medially, the trunk located ventrally, and the face congruent with the representations of the upper lip and nose in S-I. Neurons in some electrode penetrations in PV were also responsive to auditory clicks. Microlesions placed at physiologically determined borders allowed all three somatic representations to be related to myeloarchitectonically defined fields. S-I was architectonically distinct as a densely myelinated region. Within S-I, a lightly myelinated oval of the cortex between the representation of the hand and face, the "unresponsive zone" (Sur et al.: J. Comp. Neurol. 179:425-450, '78), was an easily recognized landmark. S-II and PV corresponded to less densely myelinated fields. Other subdivisions such as motor cortex, primary auditory cortex, and visual areas 17 and 18 were distinguished. Connections were revealed by placing injections within S-I, S-II, or PV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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PubMedDate not supplied

Area 17 lesions deactivate area MT in owl monkeys.

The middle temporal visual area, MT, is one of three major targets of the primary visual cortex, area 17, in primates. We assessed the contribution of area 17 connections to the responsiveness of area MT neurons to visual stimuli by first mapping the representation of the visual hemifield in MT of anesthetized owl monkeys with microelectrodes, ablating an electrophysiologically mapped part of area 17, and then immediately remapping MT. Before the lesions, neurons at recording sites throughout MT responded vigorously to moving slits of light and other visual stimuli. In addition, the relationship of receptive fields to recording sites revealed a systematic representation of the contralateral visual hemifield in MT, as reported previously for owl monkeys and other primates. The immediate effect of removing part of the retinotopic map in area 17 by gentle aspiration was to selectively deactivate the corresponding part of the visuotopic map in MT. Lesions of dorsomedial area 17 representing central and paracentral vision of the lower visual quadrant deactivated neurons in caudomedial MT formerly having receptive fields in the central and paracentral lower visual quadrant. Most neurons at recording sites throughout other parts of MT had normal levels of responsiveness to visual stimuli, and receptive-field locations that closely matched those before the lesion. However, neurons at a few sites along the margin of the deactivated zone of cortex had receptive fields that were slightly displaced from the region of vision affected by the lesion into other parts of the visual field, suggesting some degree of plasticity in the visual hemifield representation in MT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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