Distinct Cortical-Thalamic-Striatal Circuits through the Parafascicular Nucleus.

ABSTRACT: The thalamic parafascicular nucleus (PF), an excitatory input to the basal ganglia, is targeted with deep-brain stimulation to alleviate a range of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, PF lesions disrupt the execution of correct motor actions in uncertain environments. Nevertheless, the circuitry of the PF and its contribution to action selection are poorly understood. We find that, in mice, PF has the highest density of striatum-projecting neurons among all sub-cortical structures. This projection arises from transcriptionally and physiologically distinct classes of PF neurons that are also reciprocally connected with functionally distinct cortical regions, differentially innervate striatal neurons, and are not synaptically connected in PF. Thus, mouse PF contains heterogeneous neurons

SUBMITTER: Mandelbaum G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7164542 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature