Note
Includes bibliography.
Member of
Contributors
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Date Issued
2007
EDTF Date Created
2007
Description
The thalamus has been traditionally viewed as a structural relay to specific cortical
areas behaviorally associated with sensory or motor functions, and thalamic nuclei that
function in this manner are referred to as 'relay nuclei·. However. the parts of the
thalamus interconnecting limbic association cortices (functionally involved in memory.
reward, emotion. and decision making) comprise the midline and intralaminar nuclei. The
midline thalamus has not been examined fully at the anatomical, physiological. or
behavioral level, and may serve as an important relay between cortical and subcortical
structures and the limbic system. The work incorporated into this dissertation included
five axonal tract tracing projects that were conducted in the rat. to explore and test the
hypothesis that the midline thalamus serves as an important interface between limbic
structures including the amygdala. nucleus accumbens. medial prefrontal cortex and
hippocampal formation.
An important finding was the demonstration of a closed anatomical loop between the
hippocampal formation, the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral midline
thalamus: CA 1/subiculum > PLIIL > RE > CA 1/subiculum. Another finding was that 1) the hippocampal formation innervates the entire medial prefrontal cortex; and 2) the
hippocampal formation projects more heavily to ventral as compared to dorsal cortices in
the mPFC. The paraventricular, parataenial, rhomboid and reuniens nuclei of the midline
thalamus were shown to distribute to limbic structures important for cognitive
processing: the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hippocampal formation, parahippocampal
cortex, and the prefrontal cortex. Present results demonstrate that the ventral midline
nuclei (reuniens and rhomboid) extensively innervate limbic cortical structures (the
medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation) whereas dorsal midline nuclei
(paraventricular and parataenial) distribute more heavily to subcortical limbic structures
(the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens). These midline nuclei may, therefore, relay
information between these limbic areas. This connectivity suggests that the midline
nuclei could further be subdivided from the intralaminar and relay groups. The midline
thalamic nuclei would, therefore, comprise the limbic thalamus.
areas behaviorally associated with sensory or motor functions, and thalamic nuclei that
function in this manner are referred to as 'relay nuclei·. However. the parts of the
thalamus interconnecting limbic association cortices (functionally involved in memory.
reward, emotion. and decision making) comprise the midline and intralaminar nuclei. The
midline thalamus has not been examined fully at the anatomical, physiological. or
behavioral level, and may serve as an important relay between cortical and subcortical
structures and the limbic system. The work incorporated into this dissertation included
five axonal tract tracing projects that were conducted in the rat. to explore and test the
hypothesis that the midline thalamus serves as an important interface between limbic
structures including the amygdala. nucleus accumbens. medial prefrontal cortex and
hippocampal formation.
An important finding was the demonstration of a closed anatomical loop between the
hippocampal formation, the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral midline
thalamus: CA 1/subiculum > PLIIL > RE > CA 1/subiculum. Another finding was that 1) the hippocampal formation innervates the entire medial prefrontal cortex; and 2) the
hippocampal formation projects more heavily to ventral as compared to dorsal cortices in
the mPFC. The paraventricular, parataenial, rhomboid and reuniens nuclei of the midline
thalamus were shown to distribute to limbic structures important for cognitive
processing: the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hippocampal formation, parahippocampal
cortex, and the prefrontal cortex. Present results demonstrate that the ventral midline
nuclei (reuniens and rhomboid) extensively innervate limbic cortical structures (the
medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation) whereas dorsal midline nuclei
(paraventricular and parataenial) distribute more heavily to subcortical limbic structures
(the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens). These midline nuclei may, therefore, relay
information between these limbic areas. This connectivity suggests that the midline
nuclei could further be subdivided from the intralaminar and relay groups. The midline
thalamic nuclei would, therefore, comprise the limbic thalamus.
Language
Type
Form
Extent
307 p.
Subject (Topical)
Identifier
FA00000861
Additional Information
Includes bibliography.
Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.
FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Date Backup
2007
Date Created Backup
2007
Date Text
2007
Date Created (EDTF)
2007
Date Issued (EDTF)
2007
Extension
FAU
IID
FA00000861
Organizations
Attributed name: Florida Atlantic University
Attributed name: Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Attributed name: Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Person Preferred Name
Hoover, Walter Boyd III
Graduate College
Physical Description
application/pdf
307 p.
Title Plain
The Limbic Thalamus
Use and Reproduction
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Origin Information
2007
2007
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Location
Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Place
Boca Raton, Fla.
Sub Location
Digital Library
Title
The Limbic Thalamus
Other Title Info
The Limbic Thalamus