Information Cascade from Primary Auditory Cortex to the Amygdala: Corticocortical and Corticoamygdaloid Projections of Temporal Cortex in the Rat

Corticocortical and corticoamygdaloid connections of temporal cortext and perirhinal cortex (PRh) were examined in the rat with the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L). Iontophoretic injections of PHA-L into area TE1 resulted in columnar axonal terminations in surrounding and contralateral regions of temporal neocortex and in the striatum, but not in the amygdala. Within temporal neocortex, labeled fibers were present locally in adjacent regions of TE1, as well as in TE2d, TE1v, TE3v, and TE2c. Injection of cortical areas TE1v, TE3v, and TE2c, which received projections from TE1, or injections of perirhinal periallocortex, which received projections from TE1v, TE2v, and TE3v, resulted in projections to the amygdala. The pattern of corticocortical and corticoamygdaloid projections differed among the divisions of auditory cortex. TE1 exhibited extensive ipsilateral and contralateral projections to temporal cortical regions and no projections to the amygdala. In contrast, areas of temporal neocortex ventral and posterior to TE1, including TE1v, TE3v, TE2c, and PRh, had more limited ipsi- and contralateral corticocortical projections but had an increased connectivity with the subcortical forebrain, especially the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (AL). There was a topographic organization to the AL afferents. The dorsal subdivision of AL received projections from TE1v, TE3v, TE2c, and PRh, while the ventrolateral division received projections from TE3v, TE2c, and PRh. The ventromedial division received projections only from PRh, which, unlike other temporal cortical areas, also projected to the basolateral and basomedial nuclei of the amygdala. These findings define the complete sequence of connections linking primary auditory cortex with the amygdala in the rat. In addition, the findings indicate that the ventral portion of TE1, designated TE1v, has connections that distinguish it from dorsal TE1, namely, dense projections to AL and a diminished number of corticocortical projections ipsilaterally and contralaterally. Finally, the results suggest a topographic organization to the cortical terminations within the amygdala.