The cingulate bridge between allocortex, isocortex and thalamus

Abstract

The Fink‐Heimer silver impregnation and the autoradiographic methods were used to study the fiber projections of the cingulate cortex in the squirrel monkey. It was found that this cortex provides inputs to the striatum, thalamus and several areas of isocortex. Evidence was found for a number of fiber projections (1) Fibers from the anterior limbic area were traced to the central part of the head of the caudate nucleus, putamen, septum, dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus, anterior hypothalamus and lateral basal nucleus of the amygdala. (2) Projections from the cingulate area were traced to the lateral part of the head of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and to the centromedian, anterior, lateral dorsal, and lateral ventral thalamic nuclei and to medial nuclei of the base of the pons. (3) There were projections from the retrosplenial area of the anterior, lateral dorsal, dorsomedial, and posterior thalamic nuclei and lateral nuclei of the pons. These results indicate that most of the cingulate gyrus is an intermediate structure between the thalamus and overlying cortex. The anterior limbic area forms a bridge between the thalamus and other areas of the cingulate gyrus and the frontal cortex. (4) The retrosplenial area and the posterior part of the cingulate area bridge the adjacent visual sensory association cortex and pelvic areas of the sensory motor cortex, respectively. These areas of the cingulate gyrus project directly to the striatum as well as to the thalamus, structurally providing limbic system input to subcortical motor structures.