Development of Thalamocortical Connections

This book addresses the current debate on the areal specialization of the cerebral cortex, with a detailed examination of the interactions between the developing thalamus and cerebral cortex. It discusses recent in vivo and in vitro approaches and how they reveal possible guiding mechanisms involved in the deployment of the thalamocortical fibers and the earliest interactions between the new thalamic fibers and the developing cortical circuitry. It also presents new views on the possible evolutionary origin of the developmental algorithms employed during thalamocortical development. TOC:Overview of axonal pathfinding and cell-cell recognition during development.- Possible role of the early generated diencephalic and telencephalic cells in escorting early thalamic connections.- Establishment of the early topographically ordered thalamocortical connections in mammals.- In vitro development of thalamocortical connections.- The role of the first postmitotic cells in the development of thalamocortical fiber ordering in the Reeler mutant mouse. Autonomous nature of early thalamocortical organization and the subsequent distortions of thalamocortical relations.