Localization of area prostriata and its projection to the cingulate motor cortex in the rhesus monkey

Abstract

Area prostriata is a poorly understood cortical area located in the anterior portion of the calcarine sulcus. It has attracted interest as a separate visual area and progenitor for the cortex of this modality. In this report we describe a direct projection from area prostriata to the rostral cingulate motor cortex (M3) that forms the fundus and lower bank of the anterior part of the cingulate sulcus. Injections of retrograde tracers in M3 resulted in labeled neurons in layers III, V and VI of prostriate cortex. However, injections of anterograde tracers in M3 did not demonstrate axon terminals in area prostriata. This connection was organized topographically such that the rostral part of M3 received input from the dorsal region of prostriate cortex, whereas middle and caudal levels of M3 received input from more ventral locations. Injections of retrograde and anterograde tracers in the caudal cingulate motor cortex (M4) did not produce labeling in prostriate cortex. Cytoarchitectural analysis confirmed the identity of area prostriata and further clarified its extent and borders with the parasubiculum of the hippocampal formation rostrally, and V1 of the visual cortex caudally. This linkage between cortex bordering V1 and cortex giving rise to a component of the corticofacial and corticospinal pathways demonstrates a more direct visuomotor route than visual association projections coursing laterally.