Autoradiographic studies of the projections of the midbrain reticular formation: Ascending projections of nucleus cuneiformis

Abstract The ascending projections of the cuneiform nucleus in the cat were traced by autoradiography in the transverse and sagittal planes following stereotaxically placed injections of 3 H‐leucine. The ascending fibers are almost exclusively ipsilateral and enter the diencephalon as a wide radiation. At the mesodiencephalic junction fibers enter the nucleus of the posterior commissure and pretectal nuclei, and others cross in the posterior commissure to distribute to these structures on the contralateral side. More ventrally directed fibers distribute to the fields of Forel and then spread into the posterior hypothalamus and zona incerta. At the caudal level of the ventral thalamic group, the ascending fibers diverge and follow two separate courses. One division of fibers continues forward beneath the ventral thalamic group and distributes to the zona incerta and dorsal hypothalamic area. It rapidly diminishes in size as it attains more rostral levels where it is found in the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis and the anterior commissure. Other fibers of this division spread laterally to innervate the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, the lateral hypothalamus, and preoptic area, and still others follow the entire conformation of the thalamic reticular nucleus. The second division of fibers ascends through midline and intralaminar nuclei, completely encircling the mediodorsal nucleus, which is uninnervated except for a small ventral region. The distribution of this division is heaviest to the paraventricular, parafascicular, and central dorsal nuclei. Neither division is conspicuous rostral to the anterior commissure. No projections to neostriatum or specific thalamic nuclei were evident.