Projections of the temporo-parietal cortex on vestibular complex in the macaque monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Abstract

Connections of the posterior parietal cortex (area 7) with the vestibular complex have been studied in 4 macaque monkeys by anterograde axonal transport methods. WGA-HRP and tritiated amino-acids have been injected in the posterior part of area 7 including the caudal end of the superior bank of superior temporal sulcus and the lateral sulcus. Labeled terminals were observed in the vestibular nuclei complex and distributed bilaterally with a greater ipsilateral contribution. Two main groups of area 7 efferences were found to project to vestibular complex: a) A first group terminates on vestibular nuclei (the inferior vestibular nucleus and the caudal part of the medial nucleus) mainly connected with cerebello-spinal system. b) A second group terminates on vestibular nuclei (the medial and the superior vestibular nuclei and the y group) mainly involved in vestibulo-ocular mechanisms. The prepositus hypoglossi nucleus has also been found to receive area 7 projections. It is concluded that the possible control played by area 7 on the vestibulo-ocular reflex might be exerted through these direct cortico-vestibular projections.

Vestibular function in the temporal and parietal cortex: distinct velocity and inertial processing pathways

“…Interestingly, by analyzing the topography of the injection sites in the parieto-temporal cortex, MST might have been encroached upon by our injections including the postero-ventral part of the parietal cortex and the dorsal banks of the superior temporal sulcus (Faugier-Grimaud and Ventre, 1989). As illustrated in Figure 4 these parieto-temporal cortical sites were found to be directly projecting onto the vestibular nuclei complex including the medial vestibular and PH nucleus involved in the velocity storage integrator and gaze holding processing (Cheron et al, 1986a,b; Cannon and Robinson, 1987; Ventre and Faugier-Grimaud, 1988; Faugier-Grimaud and Ventre, 1989; Yokota et al, 1992). Interestingly, the connections from some extrastriate visual areas including MST responsible for visual motion processing in the far periphery might mediate rapid-response related information for orienting and postural reactions (Palmer and Rosa, 2006).…”

“…As described above, Dursteler and Wurtz (1988) have shown that chemical lesions in MST produce deficits in OKN induced by large visual field displacement. Otherwise, possible top-down influences are suggested by the existence of projections from the parieto-temporal cortex to the subcortical vestibular complex in monkey (Ventre and Faugier-Grimaud, 1988). Interestingly, by analyzing the topography of the injection sites in the parieto-temporal cortex, MST might have been encroached upon by our injections including the postero-ventral part of the parietal cortex and the dorsal banks of the superior temporal sulcus (Faugier-Grimaud and Ventre, 1989).…”

“…Insets are showing the locations in the brainstem where the photomicrographs have been taken. Adapted from Ventre and Faugier-Grimaud (1988).…”

The thalamocortical vestibular system in animals and humans

“…Anatomical studies using retrograde tracer injections into the vestibular nuclei, or anterograde tracer injections into the vestibular cortical areas, have been conducted in different monkey species (Akbarian et al, 1993(Akbarian et al, , 1994FaugierGrimaud and Ventre, 1989;Guldin et al, 1993;Ventre and Faugier-Grimaud, 1988), in the cat (Wilson et al, 1999) and in the rat (Nishiike et al, 2000). These studies showed that vestibular nuclei receive direct monosynaptic projections from PIVC, areas 2v, 3av, 7, VPS area (in area T3), premotor cortex (area 6), and anterior cingulate cortex (areas 23/6).…”

Corticovestibular interactions: anatomy, electrophysiology, and functional considerations

“…Anatomical studies Ventre and Faugier-Grimaud (1988;also Faugier-Grimaud and Ventre 1989) reported, in macaque monkeys, that the parietal cortex (area 7), especially the posterior part, projects directly to the vestibular nuclei in addition to its well-known projections to the superior colliculus, dorsolateral pontine nucleus, and nucleus prepositus hypoglossi. Akbarian et al (1993Akbarian et al ( , 1994 and Guldin et al (1993) showed, in squirrel monkeys, macaques, and marmosets, that multiple cortical areas project directly to the vestibu-3 Fig.…”