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A new intrathalamic pathway linking modality-related nuclei in the dorsal thalamus

Nature Neuroscience volume 1, pages 389–394 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Transmission of sensory information through the dorsal thalamus involves two types of modality-related nuclei, first order and higher order, between which there are thought to be no intrathalamic interactions. We now show that within the somatosensory thalamus, cells in one nucleus, the ventrobasal complex, can influence activity in another nucleus, the medial division of the posterior complex. Stimulation of ventrobasal complex cells evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents in cells of the medial division of the posterior complex. These currents exhibited the reversal potential and pharmacology of a GABAA receptor-mediated chloride conductance, indicating that they result from the activation of a disynaptic pathway involving the GABAergic cells of the thalamic reticular nucleus. These findings provide the first direct evidence for intrathalamic interactions between dorsal thalamic nuclei.

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Figure 1: Horizontal sections showing the locations of labeled cells in TRN after an injection of WGA-HRP in VB or POm in the juvenile rat.
Figure 2: IPSCs were evoked in POm cells by glutamate stimulation in VB.
Figure 3: Current–voltage relationship of the IPSCs evoked in POm cells by glutamate stimulation in VB.
Figure 4: Bicuculline or picrotoxin blocks the IPSCs evoked in POm cells by glutamate stimulation in VB.
Figure 5: Horizontal section (schematic) through the thalamus showing an intrathalamic pathway linking VB with POm through TRN (R).

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Acknowledgements

We thank the U.K. Medical Research Council (G.L.C.) and The Wellcome Trust (J.T.R.I.) for their support.

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  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK

    John W. Crabtree, Graham L. Collingridge & John T.R. Isaac

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Correspondence to John W. Crabtree.

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Crabtree, J., Collingridge, G. & Isaac, J. A new intrathalamic pathway linking modality-related nuclei in the dorsal thalamus. Nat Neurosci 1, 389–394 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/1603

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