Summary
Four of the eight sagittal zones in the cortex of the cerebellar anterior lobe, the x, c1, c3 and d2 zones, receive similar climbing fibre input from the ipsilateral forelimb through pathways ascending in the dorsal funiculus (DF-SOCPs) and have disynaptic relays in the main cuneate nucleus (Ekerot and Larson 1979a).
The present investigation demonstrates that the forelimb areas of these four zones are innervated by climbing fibres from three groups of olivary neurones with branching axons (Fig. 6). The termination sites of climbing fibre branches were determined by identifying the low-threshold spots on the cerebellar surface from which short-latency (3.1–7.5 ms), “direct” climbing fibre responses could be evoked in Purkinje cells. In some Purkinje cells these responses were followed by late (8.2–13.5 ms) climbing fibre responses (“olivary reflex” responses).
Each group projects to a pair of these zones which is separated by an intervening zone innervated from a private group of olivary neurones. The three groups of olivary neurones have been denoted the x-c1 group, the c1–c3 group, and the c3–d2 group in accordance with the zones they innervate. They project to the following areas: (a) The x-c1 group to the x zone in the vermal cortex and the lateral part of the c1 zone in the intermediate cortex; (b) the c1–c3 group to the medial parts of the c1 and c3 zones in the intermediate cortex; and (c) the c3–d2 group to the lateral part of the c3 zone in the intermediate cortex and the d2 zone in the extreme lateral part of the anterior lobe.
Olivary axons belonging to the x-c1 and c1–c3 groups often send several climbing fibres to each projection area, whereas only single termination sites were found in the c3 zone for olivary axons belonging to the c3-d2 group.
The two projection areas of each group of olivary neurones have a similar topographical organization: the areas innervated by the x-c1 group lack distinct somatotopical organization, whereas the areas innervated by the c1-c3 and c3-d2 groups have a detailed somatotopical representation of the ipsilateral forelimb.
The low threshold spots for the late climbing fibre responses (“olivary reflex” responses) were restricted to the same sagittal strips as the low-threshold spots for the “direct” responses.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Andersson G, Eriksson L (1981) Spinal, trigeminal, and cortical climbing fibre paths to the lateral vermis of the cerebellar anterior lobe in the cat. Exp Brain Res 44: 71–81
Andersson G, Oscarsson O (1978a) Projections to lateral vestibular nucleus from cerebellar climbing fibre zones. Exp Brain Res 32: 549–564
Andersson G, Oscarsson O (1978b) Climbing fiber microzones in cerebellar vermis and their projection to different groups of cells in the lateral nucleus. Exp Brain Res 32: 565–579
Armstrong DM, Harvey RJ, Schild RF (1973a) Cerebello-cerebellar responses mediated via climbing fibres. Exp Brain Res 18: 19–39
Armstrong DM, Harvey RJ, Schild RF (1973b) The spatial organization of climbing fibre branching in the cat cerebellum. Exp Brain Res 18: 40–58
Armstrong DM, Harvey RJ, Schild RF (1974) Topographical localization in the olivo-cerebellar projection: An electrophysiological study in the cat. J Comp Neurol 154: 287–302
Berkley KJ, Hand PJ (1978) Projections to the inferior olive of the cat. II. Comparisons of input from the gracile, cuneate and the spinal trigeminal nuclei. Exp Neurol 180: 253–264
Brodal A, Kawamura K (1980) Olivocerebellar projection: A review. Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 64: VII, 140
Brodal A, Walberg F, Berkley KJ, Pelt A (1980) Anatomical demonstration of branching olivocerebellar fibres by means of a double retrograde labelling technique. Neuroscience 5: 2193–2202
Crill WE (1970) Unitary multiple-spiked responses in cat inferior olive nucleus. J Neurophysiol 33: 199–209
Eccles JC, Ito M, Szentágothai J (1967) The cerebellum as a neuronal machine. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Ekerot C-F, Larson B (1977) Three sagittal zones in the cerebellar anterior lobe innervated by a common group of climbing fibres. Proc Int Union Physiol Sci (Paris) 13: 208
Ekerot C-F, Larson B (1979a) The dorsal spino-olivocerebellar system in the cat. I. Functional organization and termination in the anterior lobe. Exp Brain Res 36: 201–217
Ekerot C-F, Larson B (1979b) The dorsal spino-olivocerebellar system in the cat. II. Somatotopical organization. Exp Brain Res 36: 219–232
Ekerot C-F, Larson B, Oscarsson O (1979) Information carried by the spinocerebellar paths. In: Granit R, Pompeiano O (eds) Reflex control of posture and movement. Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, Amsterdam (Prog Brain Res, vol 50, pp 79–90)
Faber DS, Murphy JT (1969) Axonal branching in the climbing fiber pathway to the cerebellum. Brain Res 15: 262–267
Groenewegen HJ, Voogd J (1977) The parasagittal zonation within the olivo-cerebellar projection. I. Climbing fiber distribution in the vermis of cat cerebellum. J Comp Neurol 174: 417–488
Groenewegen HJ, Boesten AJP, Voogd J (1975) The dorsal column nuclear projections to the nucleus ventralis posterior lateralis thalami and the inferior olive in the cat: An auto-radiographic study. J Comp Neurol 162: 505–518
Groenewegen HJ, Voogd J, Freedman SL (1979) The parasagittal zonation within the olivocerebellar projection. II. Climbing fiber distribution in the intermediate and hemispheric parts of cat cerebellum. J Comp Neurol 183: 551–602
Haines DE, Patrick GW (1981) Cerebellar corticonuclear fibers of the paramedian lobule of three shrew (Tupaia glis) with comments on zones. J Comp Neurol 201: 99–119
Haines DE, Rubertone JA (1979) Cerebellar corticonuclear fibers of the dorsal culminate lobule (anterior lobe-lobule V) in a prosimian primate, Galago senegalensis. J Comp Neurol 186: 321–342
Jansen J, Brodal A (1940) Experimental studies on the intrinsic fibres of the cerebellum. II. The cortico-nuclear projection. J Comp Neurol 73: 267–321
Kappel RM (1981) The development of the cerebellum in macaca mulatta. A study of regional differences during cortico-genesis. Thesis, University of Leiden
Llinás R, Yarom Y (1981) Electrophysiology of mammalian inferior olivary neurones in vitro. Different types of voltage- dependent ionic conductances. J Physiol (Lond) 315: 549–567
Oscarsson O (1973) Functional organization of spinocerebellar paths. In: Iggo A (ed) Handbook of sensory physiology, vol II. Somatosensory system. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 339–380
Oscarsson O (1979) Functional units of the cerebellum. Sagittal zones and microzones. Trends Neurosci 2: 143–145
Oscarsson O (1980) Functional organization of olivary projection to the cerebellar anterior lobe. In: Courville J, de Montigny C, Lamarre Y (eds) The inferior olivary nucleus, anatomy and physiology. Raven Press, New York, pp 279–289
Oscarsson O, Sjölund B (1977a) The ventral spino-olivocerebellar system in the cat. I. Identification of five paths and their termination in the cerebellar anterior lobe. Exp Brain Res 28: 469–486
Oscarsson O, Sjölund B (1977b) The ventral spino-olivocerebellar system in the cat. II. Termination zones in the cerebellar posterior lobe. Exp Brain Res 28: 487–503
Voogd J (1969) The importance of fiber connections in the comparative anatomy of the mammalian cerebellum. In: Llinás R (ed) Neurobiology of cerebellar evolution and development. American Medical Association, Chicago, pp 493–514
Voogd J (1981) The olivocerebellar projection in the cat. In: Palay SL, Chan-Palay V (eds) The cerebellum, new vistas. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Voogd J, Bigaré F (1980) Topographical distribution of olivary and cortico nuclear fibers in the cerebellum: a review. In: Courville J, de Montigny C, Lamarre Y (eds) The inferior olivary nucleus: Anatomy and physiology. Raven Press, New York, pp 207–234
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by grants from the Medical Faculty, University of Lund, and to Dr. O. Oscarsson from the Swedish Medical Research Council (Project 01013)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ekerot, C.F., Larson, B. Branching of olivary axons to innervate pairs of sagittal zones in the cerebellar anterior lobe of the cat. Exp Brain Res 48, 185–198 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237214
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237214