Corticocortical projections to area 1 in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Abstract

Cortical area 1 is a non-primary somatosensory area in the primate anterior parietal cortex that is critical to tactile discrimination. The corticocortical projections to area 1 in squirrel monkeys were determined by placing multiple injections of anatomical tracers into separate body part representations defined by multiunit microelectrode mapping in area 1. The pattern of labeled cells in the cortex indicated that area 1 has strong intrinsic connections within each body part representation, and has inputs from somatotopically matched regions of areas 3b, 3a, 2, and 5. Somatosensory areas in the lateral sulcus, including the second somatosensory area (S2), the parietal ventral area (PV), and the presumptive parietal rostral (PR) and ventral somatosensory (VS) areas also project to area 1. Topographically organized projections to area 1 also came from the primary motor cortex (M1), the dorsal and ventral premotor areas (PMd and PMv), and the supplementary motor area (SMA). Labeled cells were also found in cingulate motor and sensory areas on the medial wall of the hemisphere. Previous studies revealed a similar pattern of projections to area 1 in Old World macaque monkeys, suggesting a pattern of cortical inputs to area 1 that is common across anthropoid primates.

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