Afferent and efferent connections of the oculomotor region of the fastigial nucleus in the macaque monkey.

Afferent and efferent connections of the fastigial oculomotor region (FOR) were studied in macaque monkeys by using axonal transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). When injected HRP is confined to the FOR, retrogradely labeled cells appear in lobules VIc and VII of the ipsilateral vermis and in group b of the contralateral medial accessory olive (MAO). In reference to the maps of topographical organization, the extent of the effective site in the fastigial nucleus (FN) could be assessed from the distributions of labeled Purkinje cells (P cells) in the vermis and labeled olivary neurons in the MAO. In contrast to the unilateral nature of the P-cell and climbing-fiber projections, those from the other brainstem regions to the FOR were bilateral. Following the injection of HRP into the FOR, the largest number of retrogradely labeled cells appeared in the pontine nuclei. Although the number of labeled cells was greater on the contralateral side in both the peduncular and dorsomedial pontine nuclei (DMPN), the number of each side was virtually identical in the dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN). In the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP), labeled cells were located only in its medial and dorsolateral portions bilaterally. In the vestibular complex, labeled cells appeared in the superior (SVN), medial (MVN), and inferior vestibular nuclei (IVN) bilaterally. The lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN), including y group and the ventrolateral vestibular nucleus, were free of labeled cells. Labeled cells appeared also in the perihypoglossal nucleus (PHN) bilaterally. In the pontine raphe (PR) and paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF), labeled cells appeared bilaterally in the caudal third of the area between the oculomotor and abducens nuclei. Labeled cells appeared also in the mesencephalic and medullary reticular formation. Tracing of anterogradely labeled axons demonstrated that most fibers from the FOR decussated within the cerebellum and entered the brainstem via the contralateral uncinate fasciculus. Some crossed fibers ascended with the contralateral brachium conjunctivum and terminated in the midbrain tegmentum. A small contingent of fibers advanced further to the thalamus. In the mesodiencephalic junction, labeled terminals were found contralaterally in the rostral interstitial nucleus of medial longitudinal fasciculus (riMLF) and a medial portion of FOrel's H Field. They appeared also in the central mesencephalic reticular formation (cMRF), the periaqueductal gray (PAG), the posterior commissure nucleus, and the superior colliculus. The oculomotor and trochlear nuclei, the red nucleus, and the interstitial nucleus of Cajal were free of labeled terminals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)