Cortical and thalamic connections of the human globus pallidus: Implications for disorders of consciousness

We report the first in vivo evidence of highly probable “direct” GPe connections with prefrontal cortex (PFC) and central thalamic nuclei. Conversely, we find direct connections between the GPi and PFC to be sparse (i.e., less likely indicative of true “direct” connectivity) and restricted to the posterior border of PFC, thus reflecting an extension from the cortical motor zones (i.e., motor association areas). Consistent with GPi's preferential connections with sensorimotor cortices, the GPi appears to predominantly connect with the sensorimotor subregions of the thalamus. These findings are validated against existing animal tracer studies. These findings suggest that contemporary mechanistic models of loss and recovery of consciousness following brain injury must be updated to include the GPe and reflect the actual patterns of GPe and GPi connectivity within large-scale cortico-thalamo-cortical circuits.
Source: Frontiers in Neuroanatomy - Category: Neurology Source Type: research