Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Vertes, Robert P.

Abstract

The midline nuclei of the thalamus, previously characterized as “nonspecific” with undifferentiated connections with the cortex, have been shown to distribute in a specific and highly organized manner to subcortical and cortical structures. The midline thalamus consists of the paraventricular (PV) and paratenial (PT) nuclei, dorsally, and the reuniens (RE) and rhomboid (RH) nuclei, ventrally. The PV and RE nuclei have been examined to a far greater extent than either the PT or RH and have been shown to be involved in various affective and cognitive functions. Generally, PV is more associated with emotional and motivated behaviors such as arousal, feeding, drug addiction, fear, and anxiety, whereas RE is more involved in cognitive and mnemonic functions -- as RE represents a critical bridge between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampal formation. As afferent projections to PT have not been systemically described, we examined the input to PT comparing it with that to PV, using retrograde anatomical tracer, fluorogold (FG). We found PT and PV are almost exclusively targeted by ‘limbic’ structures of the forebrain. Whereas afferents to PT and PV originate from very similar sources, PT receives stronger input from the cortex and PV from subcortical structures. Notably, PT receives prominent input from the mPFC and orbital (ORB) cortices, two regions associated with cognitive flexibility and decision making.

Extent

228 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Dissertation (PhD)--Florida Atlantic University, 2024.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00014505

Format

pdf

Download

Share

COinS