Thalamostriatal and cerebellothalamic pathways in a songbird, the Bengalese finch.

ABSTRACT: The thalamostriatal system is a major network in the mammalian brain, originating principally from the intralaminar nuclei of thalamus. Its functions remain unclear, but a subset of these projections provides a pathway through which the cerebellum communicates with the basal ganglia. Both the cerebellum and basal ganglia play crucial roles in motor control. Although songbirds have yielded key insights into the neural basis of vocal learning, it is unknown whether a thalamostriatal system exists in the songbird brain. Thalamic nucleus DLM is an important part of the song system, the network of nuclei required for learning and producing song. DLM receives output from song system basal ganglia nucleus Area X and sits within dorsal thalamus, the proposed avian homolog of the mammalian intralam

SUBMITTER: Nicholson DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5899675 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature