Neurons in the midline and intralaminar thalamic nuclei are components of an interconnected brainstem, limbic and prefrontal cortex neural network that is engaged during arousal, vigilance, motivated and addictive behaviors, and stress. To better understand the cellular mechanisms underlying these functions, here we review some of the recently characterized electrophysiological and neuropharmac...

Afferent subcortical connections to the lateral prefrontal cortex (orbital gyrus) in the dog brain were investigated using the horseradish peroxidase retrograde transport method. It was shown that: (i) the main projection to this area derives from the ventral and intermediate regions of the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, (ii) fairly rich projection arises from the midline, intralaminar as...

Relay neurons of the lateral geniculate nucleus innervate visual cortex, but they also provide axonal collaterals to neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus, and these thalamic reticular neurons provide feedback inhibition to relay cells. An alternative source of inhibitory inputs onto geniculate relay neurons arises from intralaminar interneurons that provide feedforward inhibition via retin...

Projections from the posterior intralaminar thalamic nuclei and the superior colliculus (SC) to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the zona incerta (ZI) have been described in the primate and rodent. The aims of this study was to investigate several questions on these projections, using modern neurotracing techniques in rats, to advance our understanding of the role of STN and ZI. We examined wh...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Little is known about the pathogenetic mechanism of impaired consciousness following subarachnoid hemorrhage. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we attempted to investigate the presence of injury of the lower portion of the ascending reticular activating system between the pontine reticular formation and the intralaminar thalamic nuclei, and the relation between this injury ...

Diminished connectivity between midline-intralaminar thalamic nuclei and prefrontal cortex has been suggested to contribute to cognitive deficits that are detectable even in early stages of schizophrenia. The midline-intralaminar relay cells comprise the final link in the ascending arousal pathway and are selectively excited by the wake-promoting peptides hypocretin 1 and 2 (orexin A and B). Th...

The Korsakoff syndrome is defined as "an abnormal mental state in which memory and learning are affected out of all proportion to other cognitive functions in an otherwise alert and responsive patient." Confabulation refers to false or erroneous memories arising, not deliberately, in the context of a neurological amnesia and is often thought of as pathognomonic of the Korsakoff syndrome. Althou...

The goal of this study was to establish a structural basis for thalamic and visceral integration. We sought to define neural networks that convey visceral or integrated environmental stimuli to the diffuse thalamocortical relay system and that link periodic changes in forebrain and visceral reflex function. Our experiments were designed to determine whether afferents to the midline-intralaminar...