Abstract
The subdivisions of human inferior colliculus are currently based on Golgi and Nissl-stained preparations. We have investigated the distribution of calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity in the human inferior colliculus and found complementary or mutually exclusive localisations of parvalbumin versus calbindin D-28k and calretinin staining. The central nucleus of the inferior colliculus but not the surrounding regions contained parvalbumin-positive neuronal somata and fibres. Calbindin-positive neurons and fibres were concentrated in the dorsal aspect of the central nucleus and in structures surrounding it: the dorsal cortex, the lateral lemniscus, the ventrolateral nucleus, and the intercollicular region. In the dorsal cortex, labelling of calbindin and calretinin revealed four distinct layers. Thus, calcium-binding protein reactivity reveals in the human inferior colliculus distinct neuronal populations that are anatomically segregated. The different calcium-binding protein-defined subdivisions may belong to parallel auditory pathways that were previously demonstrated in non-human primates, and they may constitute a first indication of parallel processing in human subcortical auditory structures.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1111-1121 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Neuroscience |
| Volume | 116 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 28 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Auditory pathways
- Calbindin
- Calretinin
- Mid-brain
- Parvalbumin
- Tectum
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience