Summary
The cerebellar corticonuclear and nucleocortical connections of lobulus simplex, crus I and II in the cat were studied by means of anterograde and retrograde transport of HRP. Previous experimental studies give evidence that the cortex of the cerebellar hemisphere in a lateromedial direction can be subdivided into five longitudinal zones. These are recognized as zones D2, D1, C3, C2 and C1. Our observations indicate that each cortical zone has its own field of termination in the cerebellar nuclei, and that these nuclear fields are similar to those receiving afferents from the corresponding zones within the paramedian lobule (Dietrichs and Walberg, 1979).
The Purkinje axons from each folium terminate from medial to lateral along a continuous band which loops through the cerebellar nuclei from the ventromedial part of nucleus interpositus posterior to the dorsolateral part of the same nucleus, from where it proceeds into the lateral part of nucleus interpositus anterior and the transition area between nucleus interpositus anterior and the dentate nucleus, to end within the latter. In addition to this arrangement there is a rostrocaudal organization within the hemispheral cortex so that the nuclear bands receiving Purkinje axons from the rostral folia (lobulus simplex) are situated slightly ventral to those receiving terminal fibres from the middle folia (crus I), which again are situated ventral to the terminal bands for the caudal folia (crus II).
The nucleocortical projection shows largely the same zonal arrangement as the corticonuclear, but labelled nuclear neurons are in some cases found bilaterally within the fastigial nucleus. This nucleus does not receive Purkinje axons from lobulus simplex, crus I and crus II.
The findings are discussed with reference to previous investigations on the cerebellar corticonuclear and nucleocortical connections, and some comments are made concerning the use of HRP as an anterograde tracer.
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Research Fellow, The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities
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Dietrichs, E., Walberg, F. The cerebellar corticonuclear and nucleocortical projections in the cat as studied with anterograde and retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. Anat Embryol 161, 83–103 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304670
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304670