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Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica : a... Mar 2013The pulvinar is the largest nucleus of the thalamus. Its lateral and inferior areas have rich connections with the visual- and dorsolateral parietal cortices. Several... (Review)
Review
The pulvinar is the largest nucleus of the thalamus. Its lateral and inferior areas have rich connections with the visual- and dorsolateral parietal cortices. Several cells in the medial and upper area connect the anterior cingulum and the premotor and prefrontal association areas. This neuronal network was considered to organize the saccades and visual attention. Other cells in the medial nucleus have axonal connections with paralimbic-, insular and higher order association-cortices. The medial structure integrates complex sensory information with limbic reactivity settings, transmitting these to the temporal and parieto-occipital centres. The pulvinar is supplied by the posterior chorioideal artery. Visual salience is considered to be an important function of the pulvinar. Visual selection enables subjects to choose the actually adequate behavioral act. To serve the visual salience the pulvinar may also inhibit inappropriate eye movements. The pulvinar appears to be a key structure of the EEG's alpha rhythm generator, acting together with the parietooccipital and temporal cortices. Dynamic fluctuation of BOLD signals on fMRI correlates well with the change of alpha power even in resting state. We presume that the pulvinar is part of a closed cortico-subcortical circuit, analogous with the striatum, but the output of the pulvinar initiates complex behavioral reactions, including perception, selective attention and emotions. Damage of the pulvinar may elicit contralateral visual neglect, because of the dissociation of the neuronal network integrated by the superior temporal area. Increased activity of the pulvinar was found during abrupt reaction to fearful visual signals; and also in the etiopathology of endogenous depressions through the alteration of serotonin transporters. Increased bilateral signal intensity of the pulvinar on MRI was detected in cases of the new variants of Creutzfeldt-Jakob- and Fabry diseases.
Topics: Alpha Rhythm; Attention; Cerebral Cortex; Humans; Intention; Neural Pathways; Perceptual Disorders; Pulvinar; Space Perception; Thalamus; Vision, Ocular
PubMed: 23542756
DOI: No ID Found -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jun 2021Perception in ambiguous environments relies on the combination of sensory information from various sources. Most associative and primary sensory cortical areas are... (Review)
Review
Perception in ambiguous environments relies on the combination of sensory information from various sources. Most associative and primary sensory cortical areas are involved in this multisensory active integration process. As a result, the entire cortex appears as heavily multisensory. In this review, we focus on the contribution of the pulvinar to multisensory integration. This subcortical thalamic nucleus plays a central role in visual detection and selection at a fast time scale, as well as in the regulation of visual processes, at a much slower time scale. However, the pulvinar is also densely connected to cortical areas involved in multisensory integration. In spite of this, little is known about its multisensory properties and its contribution to multisensory perception. Here, we review the anatomical and functional organization of multisensory input to the pulvinar. We describe how visual, auditory, somatosensory, pain, proprioceptive and olfactory projections are differentially organized across the main subdivisions of the pulvinar and we show that topography is central to the organization of this complex nucleus. We propose that the pulvinar combines multiple sources of sensory information to enhance fast responses to the environment, while also playing the role of a general regulation hub for adaptive and flexible cognition.
Topics: Animals; Cerebral Cortex; Primates; Pulvinar; Somatosensory Cortex
PubMed: 33662442
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.043 -
Journal of Anatomy Sep 2019The pulvinar is primarily referred to for its role in visual processing. However, the 'visual pulvinar' only encompasses the inferior and lateral regions of this complex... (Review)
Review
The pulvinar is primarily referred to for its role in visual processing. However, the 'visual pulvinar' only encompasses the inferior and lateral regions of this complex thalamic nucleus. The remaining medial portion (medial pulvinar, PM) establishes distinct cortical connectivity and has been associated with directed attention, executive functions and working memory. These functions are particularly impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), both of which have been associated with abnormal PM architecture and connectivity. With these disorders becoming more prevalent in modern societies, we review the literature to better understand how the PM can participate in the pathophysiology of cognitive disorders and how a better understanding of the development and function of this thalamic nucleus, which is most likely exclusive to the primate brain, can advance clinical research and treatments.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Humans; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Pulvinar
PubMed: 30657169
DOI: 10.1111/joa.12932 -
Cureus Mar 2023While bilateral stimulation of the anterior thalamic nuclei remains the only approved deep brain stimulation (DBS) option for focal epilepsy, two additional thalamic... (Review)
Review
While bilateral stimulation of the anterior thalamic nuclei remains the only approved deep brain stimulation (DBS) option for focal epilepsy, two additional thalamic targets have been proposed. Earlier work indicated the potential of centromedian thalamic nucleus stimulation with recent findings highlighting the medial pulvinar nucleus. The latter has been shown to exhibit electrophysiological and imaging alterations in patients with partial status epilepticus and temporal lobe epilepsy. On this basis, recent studies have begun assessing the feasibility and efficacy of pulvinar stimulation, with encouraging results on the reduction of seizure frequency and severity. Building on existing neuroanatomical knowledge, indicating that the medial pulvinar is connected to the temporal lobe via the temporopulvinar bundle of Arnold, we hypothesize that this is one of the routes through which medial pulvinar stimulation affects temporal lobe structures. We suggest that further anatomic, imaging, and electrophysiologic studies are warranted to deepen our understanding of the subject and guide future clinical applications.
PubMed: 37025746
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35772 -
Neuron Jan 2019The functional role of the pulvinar, with its widespread cortical connectivity, has remained elusive. In this issue of Neuron, Jaramillo et al. (2019) provide a...
The functional role of the pulvinar, with its widespread cortical connectivity, has remained elusive. In this issue of Neuron, Jaramillo et al. (2019) provide a computational roadmap for how the pulvinar might influence various cognitive behaviors across multiple large-scale networks.
Topics: Cognition; Neurons; Pulvinar
PubMed: 30653933
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.12.032 -
Visual Neuroscience Jan 2017Comparative studies have greatly contributed to our understanding of the organization and function of visual pathways of the brain, including that of humans. This... (Review)
Review
Comparative studies have greatly contributed to our understanding of the organization and function of visual pathways of the brain, including that of humans. This comparative approach is a particularly useful tactic for studying the pulvinar nucleus, an enigmatic structure which comprises the largest territory of the human thalamus. This review focuses on the regions of the mouse pulvinar that receive input from the superior colliculus, and highlights similarities of the tectorecipient pulvinar identified across species. Open questions are discussed, as well as the potential contributions of the mouse model for endeavors to elucidate the function of the pulvinar nucleus.
Topics: Animals; Lateral Thalamic Nuclei; Mice; Pulvinar; Superior Colliculi; Visual Pathways
PubMed: 28965504
DOI: 10.1017/S0952523817000050 -
Trends in Cognitive Sciences Feb 2016The pulvinar is the largest thalamic nucleus in primates and one of the most mysterious. Endeavors to understand its role in vision have focused on its abundant... (Review)
Review
The pulvinar is the largest thalamic nucleus in primates and one of the most mysterious. Endeavors to understand its role in vision have focused on its abundant connections with the visual cortex. While its connectivity mapping in the cortex displays a broad topographic organization, its projections are also marked by considerable convergence and divergence. As a result, the pulvinar is often regarded as a central forebrain hub. Moreover, new evidence suggests that its comparatively modest input from structures such as the retina and superior colliculus may critically shape the functional organization of the visual cortex, particularly during early development. Here we review recent studies that cast fresh light on how the many convergent pathways through the pulvinar contribute to visual cognition.
Topics: Animals; Cognition; Humans; Neuronal Plasticity; Pulvinar; Visual Pathways; Visual Perception
PubMed: 26553222
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.10.003 -
Vision (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2019Current evidence supports the view that the visual pulvinar of primates consists of at least five nuclei, with two large nuclei, lateral pulvinar ventrolateral (PLvl)... (Review)
Review
Current evidence supports the view that the visual pulvinar of primates consists of at least five nuclei, with two large nuclei, lateral pulvinar ventrolateral (PLvl) and central lateral nucleus of the inferior pulvinar (PIcl), contributing mainly to the ventral stream of cortical processing for perception, and three smaller nuclei, posterior nucleus of the inferior pulvinar (PIp), medial nucleus of the inferior pulvinar (PIm), and central medial nucleus of the inferior pulvinar (PIcm), projecting to dorsal stream visual areas for visually directed actions. In primates, both cortical streams are highly dependent on visual information distributed from primary visual cortex (V1). This area is so vital to vision that patients with V1 lesions are considered "cortically blind". When the V1 inputs to dorsal stream area middle temporal visual area (MT) are absent, other dorsal stream areas receive visual information relayed from the superior colliculus via PIp and PIcm, thereby preserving some dorsal stream functions, a phenomenon called "blind sight". Non-primate mammals do not have a dorsal stream area MT with V1 inputs, but superior colliculus inputs to temporal cortex can be more significant and more visual functions are preserved when V1 input is disrupted. The current review will discuss how the different visual streams, especially the dorsal stream, have changed during primate evolution and we propose which features are retained from the common ancestor of primates and their close relatives.
PubMed: 31905909
DOI: 10.3390/vision4010003 -
Annals of Clinical and Translational... Jul 2023Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for drug-refractory epilepsies (DRE) when targeting the anterior nuclei of thalamus (ANT). However, targeting other...
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for drug-refractory epilepsies (DRE) when targeting the anterior nuclei of thalamus (ANT). However, targeting other thalamic nuclei, such as the pulvinar, shows therapeutic promise. Our pioneering case study presents the application of ambulatory seizure monitoring using spectral fingerprinting (12.15-17.15 Hz) recorded through Medtronic Percept DBS implanted bilaterally in the medial pulvinar thalami. This technology offers unprecedented opportunities for real-time monitoring of seizure burden and thalamocortical network modulation for effective seizure reduction in patients with bilateral mesial temporal and temporal plus epilepsies that are not suitable for resection.
Topics: Humans; Pulvinar; Deep Brain Stimulation; Electrodes, Implanted; Epilepsy; Seizures
PubMed: 37231611
DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51815 -
Annals of Neurology Jan 2021
Topics: Aged; Brain; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Pulvinar
PubMed: 32920832
DOI: 10.1002/ana.25898