Topographical organization of the cortical afferent connections of the prefrontal cortex in the cat

Abstract

The topographical distribution of the cortical afferent connections of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in adult cats was studied by using the retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase technique. Small single injections of the enzyme were made in different locations of the PFC, and the areal location and density of the subsequent neuronal labeling in neocortex and allocortex were evaluated in each case. The comparison of the results obtained in the various cases revealed that (1) four prefrontal sectors (rostral, dorsolateral, ventral, and dorsomedial) can be distinguished, each exhibiting a particular pattern of cortical afferents. (2) All PFC sectors receive projections from the ipsilateral insular (agranular and granular subdivisions) and limbic (infralimbic, prelimbic, anterior limbic, cingular, and retrosplenial areas) cortices. These cortices provide the most abundant cortical projections to the PFC, and their various subdivisions have different preferential targets within the PFC. (3) The premotor cortex and the following neocortical sensory association areas project differentially upon the various ipsilateral PFC sectors: the portion of the somatosensory area SIV in the upper bank of the anterior ectosylvian sulcus, the visual area in the lower bank of the same sulcus, the auditory area AII, the temporal area, the perirhinal cortex, the posterior suprasylvian area, area 20, the posterior ectosylvian area, the suprasylvian fringe, the lateral suprasylvian area (anterolateral and posterolateral subdivisions), area 5, and area 7. (4) The olfactory peduncle, the prepiriform cortex, the cortico‐amygdaloid transition area, the entorhinal cortex, the subiculum (ventral, posteroventral, and posterodorsal sectors), the caudomedial band off the hippocampal formation and the postsubiculum are the allocortical sources of afferents to the PFC. (5) The dorsolateral PFC sector is the target of the largest insular, limbic, and neocortical sensory association projections. The dorsomedial and rostral sectors receive notably less abundant cortical afferents than the dorsolateral sector. Those to the dorsomedial sector arise from the same areas that project to the dorsolateral sector and are more abundant to the dorsal part, where the medial frontal eye field cortex is located. The rostral sector receives projections principally from all other PFC sectors, and from the limbic and insular cortices. The projections from the allocortex reach preferentially the ventral PFC sector. (6) Intraprefrontal connections are most abundant within each PFC sector. Commissural interprefrontal connections are largest from the site homotopic to the HRP injection. Contralateral heterotopic areas also project to the PFC.The present findings are compared to the patterns of distribution of cortical afferents in the PFC reported in macaque monkeys and similarities and differences are considered.