A new parcellation of the human thalamus on the basis of histochemical staining

doi:10.1016/0165-0173(89)90007-6

Brain Research Reviews

Volume 14, Issue 1, January–March 1989, Pages 1-34

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-0173(89)90007-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

Serial sections of human thalami, cut in the 3 standard planes, were stained in alternating series for Nissl substance, myelin, cytochrome oxidase and acetylcholinesterase.

Nissl and acetylcholinesterase-stained sections revealed a parcellation of the nuclei that could be correlated with that used in the macaque monkey thalamus. Human nuclei were accordingly re-named using the monkey nomenclature.

Apart from differences of size, the nuclei of the human and monkey thalamus are remarkably similar. In the human ventral nuclear complex there is a very clear histochemical distinction between nuclei which, on the basis of comparison with the monkey, probably form the pallidal, cerebellar and lemniscal relays to premotor, motor and somatic sensory cortex, respectively. In the human somatic sensory relay nucleus there is a further clear cytoarchitectonic distinction between components that are probably equivalent to the relays for deep and cutaneous receptors in the equivalent monkey nucleus.

References (57)

C. Asanuma et al.
Cytoarchitectonic delineation of the ventral lateral thalamic region in monkeys
Brain Res. Rev.
(1983)
C. Asanuma et al.
Distribution of cerebellar terminations and their relation to other afferent terminations in the ventral lateral thalamic region of the monkey
Brain Res. Rev.
(1983)
C. Asanuma et al.
Anatomical evidence for segregated focal groupings of efferent cells and their terminal ramifications in the cerebellothalamic pathways
Brain Res. Rev.
(1983)
H. Asanuma
Functional role of sensory inputs to the motor cortex
Prog. Neurobiol.
(1981)
T.J. Greenan et al.
Do thalamic regions which project to rostral primate motor cortex receive spinothalamic input?
Brain Res.
(1986)
B. Hutchins et al.
A rapid myelin stain for frozen sections: modification of the Heidenhain procedure
J. Neurosci. Meth.
(1983)
W.R. Mehler
Idea of a new anatomy of the thalamus
J. Psychiat. Res.
(1971)
N.J. Woolf et al.
Cholinergic neurons in the caudate-putamen proper are intrinsically organized: a combined Evans blue and acetylcholinesterase analysis
Brain Res. Bull.
(1981)
M. Wong-Riley
Changes in the visual system of monocularly sutured or enucleated cats demonstrable with cytochrome oxidase histochemistry
Brain Res.
(1979)
G.E. Alexander et al.
Parallel organization of functionally integrated circuits linking basal ganglia and cortex
Annu. Rev. Neurosci.
(1986)

K.J. Berkley

Spatial relationships between the terminations of sensory and motor pathways in the rostral brainstem of cats and monkeys. II. Cerebellar projections compared with those of the ascending somatic sensory pathways in lateral diencephalon

J. Comp. Neurol.

(1983)

H. Burton et al.

The posterior thalamic region and its cortical projection in New World and Old World monkeys

J. Comp. Neurol.

(1976)

W.E.LeGros Clark

The thalamic connections of the temporal lobe of the brain in the monkey

J. Anat.

(1936)

J.L. De Vito et al.

An autoradiographic study of efferent connections of the globus pallidus in Macaca mulatta

Exp. Brain Res.

(1982)

A. Dewulf

Anatomy of the Normal Human Thalamus, Topometry and Standardized Nomenclature

(1971)

R. Emmers et al.

The Human Somesthetic Thalamus, with Maps for Physiological Target Localization During Sterotaxic Neurosurgery

(1970)

D.P. Friedman et al.

Thalamic input to areas 3a and 2 in monkey

J. Neurophysiol.

(1981)

P.S. Goldman-Rakic et al.

Organization of the nigrothalamocortical system in the rhesus monkey

J. Comp. Neurol.

(1985)

P.S. Goldman-Rakic et al.

The primate mediodorsal (MD) nucleus and its projection to the frontal lobe

J. Comp. Neurol.

(1985)

E. Grünthal

Der Zellbau im Thalamus der Säuger und des Menschen

J. Psychol Neurol.

(1934)

T.L. Hardy et al.

Position and organization of thalamic cellular activity during diencephalic recording. I. Pressure-evoked activity

Appl. Neurophysiol.

(1980)

R. Hassler

Anatomy of the Thalamus

T. Hirai et al.

Cell sparse zones in the ventrolateral thalamic mass in humans, monkeys, and cats: their special reference to kinesthetic neurons

Appl. Neurophysiol.

(1985)

Hirai, T., Ohye, C., Nagaseki, Y. and Matsumura, M., Cytometric analysis of the thalamic ventralis intermedius nucleus...

T. Hirai et al.

Parcellation of human thalamic nuclei based on histochemical staining and substance P innervation

Neurosci. Abstr.

(1987)

T. Hirai et al.

Segregation of lemniscal inputs and motor cortex outputs in cat ventral thalamic nuclei: application of a novel technique

Exp. Brain Res.

(1988)

T. Hirai et al.

Distribution of tachykinin and enkephalin immunoreactive fibers in the human thalamus

Brain Res. Rev.

(1988)

M.K. Home et al.

The afferents and projections of the ventroposterolateral thalamus in the monkey

Exp. Brain Res.

(1979)

Cited by (391)

The role of the motor thalamus in deep brain stimulation for essential tremor
2024, Neurotherapeutics
The advent of next-generation technology has significantly advanced the implementation and delivery of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Essential Tremor (ET), yet controversies persist regarding optimal targets and networks responsible for tremor genesis and suppression. This review consolidates key insights from anatomy, neurology, electrophysiology, and radiology to summarize the current state-of-the-art in DBS for ET. We explore the role of the thalamus in motor function and describe how differences in parcellations and nomenclature have shaped our understanding of the neuroanatomical substrates associated with optimal outcomes. Subsequently, we discuss how seminal studies have propagated the ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim)-centric view of DBS effects and shaped the ongoing debate over thalamic DBS versus stimulation in the posterior subthalamic area (PSA) in ET. We then describe probabilistic- and network-mapping studies instrumental in identifying the local and network substrates subserving tremor control, which suggest that the PSA is the optimal DBS target for tremor suppression in ET. Taken together, DBS offers promising outcomes for ET, with the PSA emerging as a better target for suppression of tremor symptoms. While advanced imaging techniques have substantially improved the identification of anatomical targets within this region, uncertainties persist regarding the distinct anatomical substrates involved in optimal tremor control. Inconsistent subdivisions and nomenclature of motor areas and other subdivisions in the thalamus further obfuscate the interpretation of stimulation results. While loss of benefit and habituation to DBS remain challenging in some patients, refined DBS techniques and closed-loop paradigms may eventually overcome these limitations.
Dysregulated neural activity between the thalamus and cerebral cortex mediates cortical reorganization in cervical spondylotic myelopathy
2023, Brain Research Bulletin
Neuroimaging research has revealed significant changes in brain structure and function in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM). The thalamus plays a crucial role in this process, although its mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate whether spinal cord compression leads to alterations in the functional connectivity between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex, and to determine if such changes are associated with structural and functional remodeling of the brain in patients with CSM, and to identify potential neuroimaging biomarkers for classification. The study included 40 patients with CSM and 34 healthy controls(HCs) who underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) and structural MRI scans. Brain structural and functional metrics were quantified using functional connectivity(FC), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(fALFF), surface-based morphometry(SBM), and independent component analysis(ICA) based on functional and structural MRI. Patients with CSM exhibited significantly reduced fALFF in the bilateral lateral lingual gyrus, bilateral calcarine fissure, left precentral gyrus and postcentral gyrus, left middle and superior occipital gyrus, left superior marginal gyrus, left inferior parietal gyrus, and right Rolandic operculum. ICA results revealed weakened functional connectivity between the sensorimotor network (SMN) and the left and right frontoparietal network(FPN), and lateral visual network (lVN), along with decreased connectivity between lVN and rFPN, and increased connectivity between lFPN and rFPN. Patients with CSM also had decreased sulcus depth in the bilateral insula, left precentral and postcentral gyrus, and right lingual gyrus and calcarine fissure. Furthermore, cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients showed decreased functional connectivity between the left ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus and the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG). Finally,multimodal neuroimaging with support vector machine(SVM) classified patients with CSM and healthy controls with 86.00% accuracy. Our study revealed that the decrease in functional connectivity between the thalamus and cortex mediated by spinal cord compression leads to structural and functional reorganization of the cortex. Features based on neuroimaging markers have the potential to become neuroimaging biomarkers for CSM.
Whole-brain network transitions within the framework of ignition and transfer entropy following VIM-MRgFUS in essential tremor patients
2023, Brain Stimulation
Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) lesioning of the ventralis intermedius nucleus (VIM) has shown promise in treating drug-refractory essential tremor (ET). It remains unknown whether focal VIM lesions by MRgFUS have broader restorative effects on information flow within the whole-brain network of ET patients. We applied an information-theoretical approach based on intrinsic ignition and the concept of transfer entropy (TE) to assess the spatiotemporal dynamics after VIM-MRgFUS. Eighteen ET patients (mean age 71.44 years) underwent repeated 3T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging combined with Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) assessments one day before (T0) and one month (T1) and six months (T2) post-MRgFUS, respectively. We observed increased whole brain ignition-driven mean integration (IDMI) at T1 (p < 0.05), along with trend increases at T2. Further, constraining to motor network nodes, we identified significant increases in information-broadcasting (bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) and left cerebellar lobule III) and information-receiving (right precentral gyrus) at T1. Remarkably, increased information-broadcasting in bilateral SMA was correlated with relative improvement of the CRST in the treated hand. In addition, causal TE-based effective connectivity (EC) at T1 showed an increase from right SMA to left cerebellar lobule crus II and from left cerebellar lobule III to right thalamus. In conclusion, results suggest a change in information transmission capacity in ET after MRgFUS and a shift towards a more integrated functional state with increased levels of global and directional information flow.
Lateral cerebellothalamic tract activation underlies DBS therapy for Essential Tremor
2023, Brain Stimulation
While deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy can be effective at suppressing tremor in individuals with medication-refractory Essential Tremor, patient outcome variability remains a significant challenge across centers. Proximity of active electrodes to the cerebellothalamic tract (CTT) is likely important in suppressing tremor, but how tremor control and side effects relate to targeting parcellations within the CTT and other pathways in and around the ventral intermediate (VIM) nucleus of thalamus remain unclear.
Using ultra-high field (7T) MRI, we developed high-dimensional, subject-specific pathway activation models for 23 directional DBS leads. Modeled pathway activations were compared with post-hoc analysis of clinician-optimized DBS settings, paresthesia thresholds, and dysarthria thresholds. Mixed-effect models were utilized to determine how the six parcellated regions of the CTT and how six other pathways in and around the VIM contributed to tremor suppression and induction of side effects.
The lateral portion of the CTT had the highest activation at clinical settings (p < 0.05) and a significant effect on tremor suppression (p < 0.001). Activation of the medial lemniscus and posterior-medial CTT was significantly associated with severity of paresthesias (p < 0.001). Activation of the anterior-medial CTT had a significant association with dysarthria (p < 0.05).
This study provides a detailed understanding of the fiber pathways responsible for therapy and side effects of DBS for Essential Tremor, and suggests a model-based programming approach will enable more selective activation of lateral fibers within the CTT.
The role of tractography in the localization of the Vim nucleus of the thalamus and the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract for the treatment of tremor
2022, Neurologia
La diana habitual empleada para el tratamiento quirúrgico del temblor es el núcleo ventralis intermedius (Vim) del tálamo. Su localización es compleja, ya que no se puede visualizar con métodos de imagen convencionales, por lo que para el procedimiento quirúrgico se toman clásicamente medidas indirectas y se correlacionan con la clínica y neurofisiología intraoperatorias. Sin embargo, procedimientos ablativos actuales como la talamotomía por gamma-knife o por ultrasonidos (MRgFUS) hacen que sea preciso buscar otras alternativas para su localización. El objetivo del presente trabajo es comparar la localización indirecta del Vim mediante técnica esterotáctica con la realizada directamente por tractografía para el tratamiento del temblor.
La definición citoarquitectónica más empleada del Vim es la del atlas de Schaltenbrand-Wahren. Existe un límite claro entre el tálamo motor y el sensitivo; las neuronas del Vim responden a movimientos pasivos articulares y su actividad es sincrónica con el temblor periférico. Las coordenadas estereotácticas del Vim más frecuentemente utilizadas se basan en mediciones indirectas respecto a la línea intercomisural y el III ventrículo, las cuales dependen de variaciones interindividuales. Estudios recientes han propuesto el haz dentatorrubrotalámico como una diana óptima para el control del temblor, postulando que se asocia a una mejoría clínica; sin embargo, esto no ha sido corroborado por otros autores.
La visualización de la vía cerebelorrubrotalámica por tractografía puede ayudar a definir la localización del Vim. Esta técnica tiene limitaciones inherentes y sería necesaria una estandarización del método para lograr resultados más precisos. La posible mayor utilidad de la diana por tractografía, directa, sobre la indirecta queda por demostrar a largo plazo en pacientes con temblor.
The ventralis intermedius (Vim) nucleus of the thalamus is the usual surgical target for tremor. However, locating the structure may be difficult as it is not visible with conventional imaging methods; therefore, surgical procedures typically use indirect calculations correlated with clinical and intraoperative neurophysiological findings. Current ablative surgical procedures such as Gamma-Knife thalamotomy and magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound require new alternatives for locating the Vim nucleus. In this review, we compare Vim nucleus location for the treatment of tremor using stereotactic procedures versus direct location by means of tractography.
The most widely used cytoarchitectonic definition of the Vim nucleus is that established by Schaltenbrand and Wahren. There is a well-defined limit between the motor and the sensory thalamus; Vim neurons respond to passive joint movements and are synchronous with peripheral tremor. The most frequently used stereotactic coordinates for the Vim nucleus are based on indirect calculations referencing the mid-commissural line and third ventricle, which vary between patients. Recent studies suggest that the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract is an optimal target for controlling tremor, citing a clinical improvement; however, this has not yet been corroborated.
Visualisation of the cerebello-rubro-thalamic pathway by tractography may help in locating the Vim nucleus. The technique has several limitations, and the method requires standardisation to obtain more precise results. The utility of direct targeting by tractography over indirect targeting for patients with tremor remains to be demonstrated in the long-term.
MRI-Visible Anatomy of the Basal Ganglia and Thalamus
2022, Neuroimaging Clinics of North America

View all citing articles on Scopus

^∗: Present address: Department of Neurosurgery, Kouchi Medical University, Kohasu Okou-Chou, Nangoku-Shi Kouchi, Japan $T$ 781-51.

View full text

A new parcellation of the human thalamus on the basis of histochemical staining

Abstract

Brain Res. Rev.

Brain Res. Rev.

Brain Res. Rev.

Prog. Neurobiol.

Brain Res.

J. Neurosci. Meth.

J. Psychiat. Res.

Brain Res. Bull.

Brain Res.

Parallel organization of functionally integrated circuits linking basal ganglia and cortex

Annu. Rev. Neurosci.

Spatial relationships between the terminations of sensory and motor pathways in the rostral brainstem of cats and monkeys. II. Cerebellar projections compared with those of the ascending somatic sensory pathways in lateral diencephalon

J. Comp. Neurol.

The posterior thalamic region and its cortical projection in New World and Old World monkeys

J. Comp. Neurol.

The thalamic connections of the temporal lobe of the brain in the monkey

J. Anat.

An autoradiographic study of efferent connections of the globus pallidus in Macaca mulatta

Exp. Brain Res.

Anatomy of the Normal Human Thalamus, Topometry and Standardized Nomenclature

The Human Somesthetic Thalamus, with Maps for Physiological Target Localization During Sterotaxic Neurosurgery

Thalamic input to areas 3a and 2 in monkey

J. Neurophysiol.

Organization of the nigrothalamocortical system in the rhesus monkey

J. Comp. Neurol.

The primate mediodorsal (MD) nucleus and its projection to the frontal lobe

J. Comp. Neurol.

Der Zellbau im Thalamus der Säuger und des Menschen

J. Psychol Neurol.

Position and organization of thalamic cellular activity during diencephalic recording. I. Pressure-evoked activity

Appl. Neurophysiol.

Anatomy of the Thalamus

Cell sparse zones in the ventrolateral thalamic mass in humans, monkeys, and cats: their special reference to kinesthetic neurons

Appl. Neurophysiol.

Parcellation of human thalamic nuclei based on histochemical staining and substance P innervation

Neurosci. Abstr.

Segregation of lemniscal inputs and motor cortex outputs in cat ventral thalamic nuclei: application of a novel technique

Exp. Brain Res.

Distribution of tachykinin and enkephalin immunoreactive fibers in the human thalamus

Brain Res. Rev.

The afferents and projections of the ventroposterolateral thalamus in the monkey

Exp. Brain Res.