Axonal connections of thalamic posterior paralaminar nuclei with amygdaloid projection neurons to the cholinergic basal forebrain in the rat

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 315; no. 3; pp. 121 - 124
• Main Authors: Wilhelmi, E., Linke, R., de Lima, A.D., Pape, H.-C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 27.11.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Amygdala - physiology; Anatomy; Animals; Axons - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Mapping; Central nervous system; Cholinergic Fibers - physiology; Cortical arousal; Emotion; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Male; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neurons - physiology; Prosencephalon - physiology; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Substantia innominata; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Thalamic Nuclei - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Substantia innominata; Emotion; Cortical arousal; Cholinergic neuron; Amygdala; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Projection; Basal ganglion; Emotion emotionality; Prosencephalon; Vertebrata; Substantia innominata Reichert; Mammalia; Thalamus; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02327-8

Stimulation of the amygdala elicits cortical activation mediated by the corticopetal basal forebrain. An unresolved question is whether the involved amygdala neurons that project to the basal forebrain receive direct thalamic input. Using combined retrograde and anterograde tracing techniques, we demonstrate a monosynaptic contact between thalamic posterior paralaminar nuclei axons and neurons in the central amygdala that project to corticopetal cholinergic basal forebrain regions. These contacts may constitute the morphological substrate for the induction of fast cortical arousal and attention triggered by emotional events.