Afferent and efferent projections of the central caudal nidopallium in the pigeon (Columba livia)

Abstract

The central caudal nidopallium (NCC) is a large subdivision of the nidopallium in the pigeon brain, but its connectional anatomy is unknown. Here, we examined the connections of NCC by using tract-tracing methods. Injections of cholera toxin B-chain (CTB) in NCC labeled many neurons within NCC. Outside NCC, many labeled neurons were found in the dorsal intermediate mesopallium and medialmost part of the medial intermediate nidopallium, with a few in the intermediate (AI) and medial (AM) arcopallium. In the thalamus, labeled neurons were located in the subrotundal nucleus, the shell region of nucleus ovoidalis, and the caudal part of the dorsolateral posterior thalamic nucleus. Injections of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) in NCC labeled many fibers running rostrocaudally within NCC. Some of these terminated in the dorsal intermediate mesopallium, but the size of the terminal field was smaller than the region of the dorsal intermediate mesopallium that provided the projection to NCC. NCC sent numerous efferents to AI and AM but few to the thalamus. In contrast, after CTB injections in the dorsal intermediate mesopallium, a few neurons were labeled in NCC, but, after BDA injections in the dorsal intermediate mesopallium, large numbers of labeled fibers were seen to project widely throughout NCC. These findings indicate that the flow of information is predominantly from the dorsal intermediate mesopallium to NCC and from there to the arcopallium (AI and AM). The arcopallial outflow to the medial hypothalamus could imply that NCC is involved in neuroendocrine and autonomic functions and is limbic in nature.

Sexually Dimorphic Neural Phenotypes in Golden-Collared Manakins <i>(Manacus vitellinus)</i>

“…The function of MVL is less well understood than that of E. Whereas some portions of MVL may have sensory integration functions [Feenders et al, 2008;Atoji and Wild, 2009;Mehlhorn et al, 2010], the caudal region to which we restricted our measurements probably functions in visual processing as this region is known to receive input from E in zebra finches [Krützfeldt and Wild, 2004]. The larger volume of caudal MVL in manakins suggests that females have greater demands on the MVL than do males.…”

“…Each region was measured throughout its rostral-caudal extent. We used canary, zebra finch, chicken, and pigeon atlases [Karten and Hodos, 1967;Stokes et al, 1974;Kuenzel and Masson, 1988;Nixdorf-Bergweiler and Bischof, 2007] along with papers specific to our regions of interest [Sherry et al, 1989;Timmermans et al, 2000;Laverghetta and Shimizu, 2003;Wild, 2004, 2005;Day et al, 2005;Guirado et al, 2005;Yamamoto et al, 2005;Sadananda et al, 2007;Day et al, 2008;Feenders et al, 2008;Watanabe et al, 2008;Atoji and Wild, 2009;Campanella et al, 2009;da Silva et al, 2009;SaintDizier et al, 2009] to identify region boundaries. Specific boundaries for each region are given below.…”

Brain imaging reveals neuronal circuitry underlying the crow’s perception of human faces

“…Differential activation of the hyperpallium suggests that, in addition to the use of the tectofugal visual pathway, crows used their thalamofugal pathway (directly linking thalamus and hyperpallium) to perceive humans. Activation of the rostral nidopallium, which has strong connections with the entopallium and mesopallium (14) and access to sensory information from both the tectofugal and thalamofugal visual pathways (15), appears important to the recognition of human faces.…”

The receptor architecture of the pigeons’ nidopallium caudolaterale: an avian analogue to the mammalian prefrontal cortex

“…The NCC receives its input predominantly from the dorsal intermediate mesopallium and projects to arcopallial subfields. The arcopallial outflow to the medial hypothalamus could imply that NCC is involved in neuroendocrine and autonomic functions and is limbic in nature Atoji and Wild 2009). The interconnectivity between NCC and NCL seems to be surprisingly weak (Atoji and Wild 2009;Kröner and Güntürkün 1999).…”

“…Therefore, the first aim of this study was to map the chemoarchitecture of the NCL. This approach is important to define the areal borders between the nidopallium caudocentrale (NCC) and the NCL, since different studies using tracing techniques or immunocytochemistry showed discrepant delineations (Wynne and Güntürkün 1995;Waldmann and Güntürkün 1993;Kröner and Güntürkün 1999;Atoji and Wild 2009). Although, the border to the laterally and supraventricular located dorsolateral corticoid area (CDL) and the NCL is easier to define, it was additionally included in the analysis here.…”