Summary
The cerebellar afferent projection from the trigeminal sensory nuclei (TSN) was studied by means of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The projection is almost exclusively ipsilateral. Three cortical regions, viz., the intermediate-lateral part of lobulus simplex with the adjacent area of lobule V, the rostralmost folia of the paramedian lobule with the surrounding parts of crus I and II, and lobule IX, especially its rostral two folia, are the main targets for the cerebellar afferent fibres. A few fibres reach also the other cerebellar regions, as shown in Fig. 3.
Most of the cerebellar afferent fibres originate in the nucleus interpolaris with nucleus oralis as the second most important region. The projection from the principal nucleus is moderate and reaches primarily the area of the crura bordering on the paramedian lobule and lobule IX. The projections from the nucleus caudalis and nucleus mesencephalicus are scanty. The fibres from the latter reach only the vermal region.
The findings are discussed in relation to previous anatomical and physiological observations.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Adrian, E.D.: Afferent areas in the cerebellum connected with limbs. Brain 66, 289–315 (1953).
Brodal, A., Saugstad, L.F.: Retrograde cellular changes in the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus in the cat following cerebellar lesions. Acta Morphol. Neerl. Scand. 6, 147–159 (1965).
Carpenter, M.B., Hanna, G.R.: Fiber projections from the spinal trigeminal nucleus in the cat. J. Comp. Neurol. 117, 117–125 (1961).
Cody, F.W.J., Richardson, H.C.: Trigeminal projections to the cerebellar cortex in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 267, 41P-42P (1977).
Cody, F.W.J., Richardson, H.C.: Mossy and climbing fibre projections of trigeminal inputs to the cerebellar cortex in the cat. Brain Res. 153, 352–356 (1978a).
Cody, F.W.J., Richardson, H.C.: Responses of cerebellar interpositus nuclear neurones to trigeminal inputs in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 277, 62P-63P (1978b).
Cody, F.W.J., Richardson, H.C.: Mossy and climbing fibre mediated responses evoked in the cerebellar cortex of the cat by trigeminal afferent stimulation. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 287, 1–14 (1979).
Courville, J., Faraco-Cantin, F.: On the origin of the climbing fibers on the cerebellum. An experimental study in the cat with an autoradiographic tracing method. Neuroscience 3, 797–809 (1978).
Darian-Smith, I., Phillips, G.: Secondary neurones within a trigemino-cerebellar projection to the anterior lobe of the cerebellum in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 170, 53–68 (1964).
Dietrichs, E., Walberg, F.: The cerebellar projections from the lateral reticular nucleus as studied with retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. Anat. Embryol. (Berl.) 155, 273–290 (1979).
Dow, R.S., Anderson, R.: Cerebellar action potentials in response to stimulation of proprioceptors and exteroceptors in the rat. J. Neurophysiol. 5, 363–371 (1942).
Dunn, J.D., Matzke, H.A.: Efferent fiber connections of the marmoset (Oedipomidas oedipus) trigeminal nucleus caudalis. J. Comp. Neurol. 133, 429–438 (1968).
Faull, R.L.M.: A comparative study of the cells of origin of cerebellar afferents in the rat, cat, and monkey studied with the horseradish peroxidase technique: I. The non-vestibular brainstem afferents. Anat. Rec. 187, 577 (1977).
Hayes, N.L., Rustioni, A.: Toward a reliable double-label technique for the demonstration of collateral projections of neurons: use of enzymatically inactive 3H-HRP. Anat. Rec. 190, 416–417 (1978).
Hayes, N.L., Rustioni, A.: Dual projections of single neurons are visualized simultaneously: use of enzymatically inactive [3H] HRP. Brain Res. 165, 321–326 (1979).
Huber, G.C., Crosby, E.C.: On thalamic and tectal nuclei and fiber paths in the brain of the American alligator. J. Comp. Neurol. 40, 97–227 (1926).
Ikeda, M.: Projections from the spinal and principal sensory nuclei of the trigeminal nerve to the cerebellar cortex in the cat, as studied by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. J. Comp. Neurol. 184, 567–586 (1979).
Joseph, J.W., Shambes, G.M., Gibson, J.M., Welker, W.: Tactile projections to granule cells in the caudal vermis of the rat's cerebellum. Brain Behav. Evol. 15, 141–149 (1978).
Karamanlidis, A.: Trigemino-cerebellar fiber connections in the goat studied by means of the retrograde cell degeneration method. J. Comp. Neurol. 133, 71–88 (1968).
Kawamura, S.: Efferent projections of the nucleus caudalis of the spinal trigeminal complex in the cat. Okajimas Fol. Anat. Jap. 47, 377–405 (1971).
Kotchabhakdi, N., Hoddevik, G.H., Walberg, F.: Cerebellar afferent projections from the perihypoglossal nuclei: An experimental study with the method of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. Exp. Brain Res. 31, 13–29 (1978).
Kotchabhakdi, N., Walberg, F.: Cerebellar afferents from neurons in motor nuclei of cranial nerves demonstrated by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. Brain Res. 137, 158–163 (1977).
Larsell, O.: The cerebellum of the frog. J. Comp. Neurol. 36, 89–112 (1923).
Larsell, O.: The cerebellum of reptiles: Chelonians and alligator. J. Comp. Neurol. 56, 229–345 (1932).
Larsell, O.: The development and morphology of the cerebellum in the opossum. Part II. Later development and adult. J. Comp. Neurol. 63, 251–291 (1936a).
Larsell, O.: Cerebellum and corpus pontocerebellare of the bat (Myotis). J. Comp. Neurol. 64, 275–302 (1936b).
Larsell, O.: The comparative anatomy and histology of the cerebellum from monotremes through apes, Jansen, J. (ed.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press 1970.
Miles, T.S., Wiesendanger, M.: Organization of climbing fibre projections to the cerebellar cortex from trigeminal cutaneous afferents and from the SI face area of the cerebral cortex in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 245, 409–424 (1975a).
Miles, T.S., Wiesendanger, M.: Climbing fibre inputs to cerebellar Purkinje cells from trigeminal cutaneous afferents and the SI face area of the cerebral cortex in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 245, 425–445 (1975b).
Pearson, A.A.: Further observations on the mesencephalic root of the trigeminal nerve. J. Comp. Neurol. 91, 147–194 (1949).
Pierce, E.T., Hoddevik, G.H., Walberg, F.: The cerebellar projection from the raphe nuclei in the cat as studied with the method of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. Anat. Embryol. (Berl.) 152, 73–87 (1977).
Richardson, H.C., Cody, F.W.J., Paul, V.E., Thomas, A.G.: Convergence of trigeminal and limb inputs onto cerebellar interpositus nuclear neurones in the cat. Brain Res. 156, 355–359 (1978).
Shambes, G.M., Gibson, J.M., Welker W.: Fractured somatotrophy in granule cell tactile areas of rat cerebellar hemispheres revealed by micromapping. Brain Behav. Evol. 15, 94–140 (1978).
Snider, R.S.: A fifth nerve projection to the cerebellum. Fed. Proc. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol. 2, 46 (1943).
Snider, R.S.: Recent contributions to the anatomy and physiology of the cerebellum. Arch. Neurol. Psychiatr. 64, 196–219 (1950).
Snider, R.S., Stowell, A.: Receiving areas of the tactile, auditory, and visual systems in the cerebellum. J. Neurophysiol. 7, 331–357 (1944).
Steindler, D.A.: Cortical barrels, thalamic barreloids, and trigemino-cerebellar projections in normal and reeler mutant mice. Anat. Rec. 187, 722–723 (1977a).
Steindler, D.A.: Trigemino-cerebellar projections in normal and reeler mutant mice. Neurosci. Lett. 6, 293–300 (1977b).
Stewart, W.A., King, R.B.: Fiber projections from the nucleus caudalis of the spinal trigeminal nucleus. J. Comp. Neurol. 121, 271–286 (1963).
Taber, E.: The cytoarchitecture of the brain stem of the cat. I. Brain stem nuclei of the cat. J. Comp. Neurol. 116, 27–70 (1961).
Voris, H.C., Hoerr, N.L.: The hindlimb of the opossum, Didelphis virginiana. J. Comp. Neurol. 54, 277–355 (1932).
Walberg, F., Brodal, A., Hoddevik, G.H.: A note on the method of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase as a tool in studies of afferent cerebellar connections, particularly those from the inferior olive; with comments on the orthograde transport in Purkinje cell axons. Exp. Brain Res. 24, 383–401 (1976).
Watson, C.R.R., Switzer III, R.C.: Trigeminal projections to cerebellar tactile areas in the rat origin mainly from N. interpolaris and N. principalis. Neurosci. Lett. 10, 77–82 (1978).
Weinberg, E.: The mesencephalic root of the fifth nerve. A comparative anatomical study. J. Comp. Neurol. 46, 249–405 (1928).
Whitlock, D.G.: A neurological and neurophysiological study of afferent fiber tracts and receptive area of the avian cerebellum. J. Comp. Neurol. 97, 567–636 (1952).
Woodburne, R.T.: A phylogenetic consideration of the primary and secondary centers and connections of the trigeminal complex in a series of vertebrates. J. Comp. Neurol. 65, 403–501 (1936).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
On leave from the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, under the Fellowship Program of the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Somana, R., Kotchabhakdi, N. & Walberg, F. Cerebellar afferents from the trigeminal sensory nuclei in the cat. Exp Brain Res 38, 57–64 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237931
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237931