Projections from cortical visual areas of the superior temporal sulcus to the superior colliculus, in macaque monkeys

Abstract

1. The distribution of tectal projections of two visual areas of the superior temporal sulcus (MT and MST areas) has been studied, in five Macaca fascicularis, by means of the autoradiographic method tracing the anterograde transport of tritiated aminoacids intracortically injected. 2. In all cases the ipsilateral superior colliculi (SC) were found labelled, whereas the contralateral ones were devoid of label. 3. The three brains injected in the MT area resulted in SC labels that involved the superficial gray layer (SGS), the stratum opticum (SO) and the intermediate gray layer (SGI), sparing the layers below SGI. 4. The collicular labels found after injections within the MST area exhibited their distribution over the deep SC subdivision, whereas they spared all the superficial layers but the deep part of the SO. 5. In two animals with large uptake zones, one in MT and the other in MST, the labelling within the SGI showed a cluster-like pattern. 6. The distinct found bulk of projections of MT and MST respectively to the superficial and deep subdivisions of the SC, along with a number of peculiar connections of the MST area as mentioned in the text, contribute to depict an overall neural network in which MST appears to be more strongly involved than MT in linking sensory visual with oculomotor attentive functions.