Topographic distribution of callosal neurons and terminals in the cerebral cortex of the cat

Abstract

This investigation had four goals: First, to study the general topography of the corpus callosum (CC) of the cat. Second, to study the columnar organization of CC terminals and map their banding pattern in the cortex. Third, to examine the relation between CC neuron density and the presence of CC terminal columns. Fourth, to determine whether CC and anterior commissure (AC) neuron distributions are intermixed. Eight adult cats were subjected to partial commissurotomies, and then to large injections of horseradish peroxidase to one cerebral hemisphere. Processing with tetramethyl benzidine revealed retrogradely labelled cells and anterogradely labelled terminals in the cortex of the uninjected hemisphere. The distributions of these cells and terminals were examined by light microscopy and analyzed by computer microscopic methods. The genu of the CC interconnects frontal portions of the cortex, the body interconnects mostly dorsal portions of the cortex, while the splenium interconnects the temporal and occipital cortices. Reconstructions of the CC terminal columns reveal intricate banding patterns in several non-primary areas of the cortex. CC cell density is greater within than outside the terminal columns. CC and AC neurons intermix in the infragranular layers of the neocortex.