Anatomically and functionally distinct thalamocortical inputs to primary and secondary mouse whisker somatosensory cortices.

ABSTRACT: Subdivisions of mouse whisker somatosensory thalamus project to cortex in a region-specific and layer-specific manner. However, a clear anatomical dissection of these pathways and their functional properties during whisker sensation is lacking. Here, we use anterograde trans-synaptic viral vectors to identify three specific thalamic subpopulations based on their connectivity with brainstem. The principal trigeminal nucleus innervates ventral posterior medial thalamus, which conveys whisker-selective tactile information to layer 4 primary somatosensory cortex that is highly sensitive to self-initiated movements. The spinal trigeminal nucleus innervates a rostral part of the posterior medial (POm) thalamus, signaling whisker-selective sensory information, as well as decision-related informat

SUBMITTER: El-Boustani S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7335197 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature