Biomaterial Database

An anatomical reinvestigation of the termination of the spinothalamic tract in the monkey. 1979

J Boivie

The projections of the spinothalamic tract in the macaque monkey have been reinvestigated using the Wiitanen modification of the Fink-Heimer technique. In agreement with previous studies in the monkey (mehler, Bowsher, Kerr) it was found that the spinothalamic tract ascends outside the medial lemniscus, enters the thalamus just dorsal to this structure, and terminates in the posterior, intralaminar and ventral regions, as well as in the zona incerta. The posteromedial nucleus (POm) receives a dense spinothalamic projection medially and ventromedially; elsewhere in the POm the projection is more scattered. The fibers to the intralaminar region terminate in the nucleus centralis lateralis (CL) with a distinct pattern of the distribution. The nucleus centralis medialis (CeM) has a minute projection. There was no evidence for somatotopic organization in the projections to the POm or to the intralaminar region. The distribution of the terminal degeneration in the ventral region was more complex. Although present in the whole nucleus ventralis posterolateralis (VPL), the degeneration was unevenly distributed and also extended beyond the VPL. So-called clusters of dense degeneration lay in the outskirts of the forelimb and hindlimb representation areas, namely at its ventral, ventrolateral, dorsolateral, and medial borders. Centrally the degeneration was scattered. Thus, most of the VPL receives only a sparse spinothalamic projection, but a small portion contains dense networks of terminal spinal fibers. A somatotopic pattern was evident, for after low thoracic lesions most of the medial VPL lacked degeneration. Spinothalamic fibers pass beyond the VPL to terminate in a zone of transition (nucleus ventralis intermedius of V.im of Hassler, '59; Mehler, '71) between the rostral pole of the VPL and the nucleus ventralis lateralis (VL). This zone also reportedly receives cerebellar and vestibular afferent fibers. Observations suggesting that the evolution of the spinothalamic tract and the spino-cervico-thalamic pathway in carnivores and primates may be linked are discussed. The spinothalamic clusters in the monkey's VPL appear to be homologous to much of the cervicothalamic tract projection to the VPL in the cat.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008251	Macaca	A genus of the subfamily CERCOPITHECINAE, family CERCOPITHECIDAE, consisting of 16 species inhabiting forests of Africa, Asia, and the islands of Borneo, Philippines, and Celebes.	Ape, Barbary,Ape, Black,Ape, Celebes,Barbary Ape,Black Ape,Celebes Ape,Macaque,Apes, Barbary,Apes, Black,Apes, Celebes,Barbary Apes,Black Apes,Celebes Apes,Macacas,Macaques
D008253	Macaca mulatta	A species of the genus MACACA inhabiting India, China, and other parts of Asia. The species is used extensively in biomedical research and adapts very well to living with humans.	Chinese Rhesus Macaques,Macaca mulatta lasiota,Monkey, Rhesus,Rhesus Monkey,Rhesus Macaque,Chinese Rhesus Macaque,Macaca mulatta lasiotas,Macaque, Rhesus,Rhesus Macaque, Chinese,Rhesus Macaques,Rhesus Macaques, Chinese,Rhesus Monkeys
D008526	Medulla Oblongata	The lower portion of the BRAIN STEM. It is inferior to the PONS and anterior to the CEREBELLUM. Medulla oblongata serves as a relay station between the brain and the spinal cord, and contains centers for regulating respiratory, vasomotor, cardiac, and reflex activities.	Accessory Cuneate Nucleus,Ambiguous Nucleus,Arcuate Nucleus of the Medulla,Arcuate Nucleus-1,External Cuneate Nucleus,Lateral Cuneate Nucleus,Nucleus Ambiguus,Ambiguus, Nucleus,Arcuate Nucleus 1,Arcuate Nucleus-1s,Cuneate Nucleus, Accessory,Cuneate Nucleus, External,Cuneate Nucleus, Lateral,Medulla Oblongatas,Nucleus, Accessory Cuneate,Nucleus, Ambiguous,Nucleus, External Cuneate,Nucleus, Lateral Cuneate
D008636	Mesencephalon	The middle of the three primitive cerebral vesicles of the embryonic brain. Without further subdivision, midbrain develops into a short, constricted portion connecting the PONS and the DIENCEPHALON. Midbrain contains two major parts, the dorsal TECTUM MESENCEPHALI and the ventral TEGMENTUM MESENCEPHALI, housing components of auditory, visual, and other sensorimoter systems.	Midbrain,Mesencephalons,Midbrains
D010802	Phylogeny	The relationships of groups of organisms as reflected by their genetic makeup.	Community Phylogenetics,Molecular Phylogenetics,Phylogenetic Analyses,Phylogenetic Analysis,Phylogenetic Clustering,Phylogenetic Comparative Analysis,Phylogenetic Comparative Methods,Phylogenetic Distance,Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares,Phylogenetic Groups,Phylogenetic Incongruence,Phylogenetic Inference,Phylogenetic Networks,Phylogenetic Reconstruction,Phylogenetic Relatedness,Phylogenetic Relationships,Phylogenetic Signal,Phylogenetic Structure,Phylogenetic Tree,Phylogenetic Trees,Phylogenomics,Analyse, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic Comparative,Clustering, Phylogenetic,Community Phylogenetic,Comparative Analysis, Phylogenetic,Comparative Method, Phylogenetic,Distance, Phylogenetic,Group, Phylogenetic,Incongruence, Phylogenetic,Inference, Phylogenetic,Method, Phylogenetic Comparative,Molecular Phylogenetic,Network, Phylogenetic,Phylogenetic Analyse,Phylogenetic Clusterings,Phylogenetic Comparative Analyses,Phylogenetic Comparative Method,Phylogenetic Distances,Phylogenetic Group,Phylogenetic Incongruences,Phylogenetic Inferences,Phylogenetic Network,Phylogenetic Reconstructions,Phylogenetic Relatednesses,Phylogenetic Relationship,Phylogenetic Signals,Phylogenetic Structures,Phylogenetic, Community,Phylogenetic, Molecular,Phylogenies,Phylogenomic,Reconstruction, Phylogenetic,Relatedness, Phylogenetic,Relationship, Phylogenetic,Signal, Phylogenetic,Structure, Phylogenetic,Tree, Phylogenetic
D011149	Pons	The front part of the hindbrain (RHOMBENCEPHALON) that lies between the MEDULLA and the midbrain (MESENCEPHALON) ventral to the cerebellum. It is composed of two parts, the dorsal and the ventral. The pons serves as a relay station for neural pathways between the CEREBELLUM to the CEREBRUM.	Pons Varolii,Ponte,Pons Varolius,Pontes,Varolii, Pons,Varolius, Pons
D001931	Brain Mapping	Imaging techniques used to colocalize sites of brain functions or physiological activity with brain structures.	Brain Electrical Activity Mapping,Functional Cerebral Localization,Topographic Brain Mapping,Brain Mapping, Topographic,Functional Cerebral Localizations,Mapping, Brain,Mapping, Topographic Brain
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D004027	Diencephalon	The paired caudal parts of the PROSENCEPHALON from which the THALAMUS; HYPOTHALAMUS; EPITHALAMUS; and SUBTHALAMUS are derived.	Interbrain,Interbrains
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia