Functional connectivity of medial pulvinar to limbic system in macaque monkey revealed by INS-fMRI

Motivation: To understand the circuitry underlying the pulvinar and limbic cortical areas in the brain. Goal(s): To map at mesoscale functional connections between medial pulvinar (PM) and insular and cingulate cortices in Macaque monkey. Approach: Infrared neural stimulation was delivered via optic fibers to sequential sites in PM in Macaques and BOLD responses at connected sites mapped in 7T MRI. Results: We find connectivity of PM with cingulate cortex was patchy and columnar, with sequential sites in PM producing mediolateral topographic activation. A functional topology of these patches was observed in cingulate. Impact: The specificity and mesoscale nature of functional connections from medial pulvinar to limbic systems, providing new treatment ideas for mental disorders.