Direct connections of rat visual cortex with sensory, motor, and association cortices

Each division of rat visual cortex, areas 17, 18a, and 18b, has connections with sensory, motor, and association cortices. These corticocortical connections were sampled using anterograde autoradiographic and retrograde horseradish peroxidase labeling techniques. Area 17 is connected via reciprocal pathways with each division of visual cortex, the posterior one-third of motor area 8, association area 7, and posteroventral area 36 of temporal cortex. It also receives projections from perirhinal areas 13 and 35. Area 18a has reciprocal connections with areas 17 and 18b, a patch in posterior somatosensory area 3, and dorsal auditory area 41. Like area 17, area 18a receives afferents from and projects to the posterior one-third of motor area 8. The connections of area 18a with association cortices are extensive; these regions include parietal areas 7, 39, 40, and 14, posteroventral and dorsal area 36, and perirhinal cortex. Area 18b is connected with areas 17 and 18a, a patch in medial area 3, and dorsal area 41. There are reciprocal projections between area 18b and posterior area 8. As for association cortex, area 18b projects to frontal area 11, area 7, posteroventral and dorsal area 36, and perirhinal cortex. In addition, area 18b receives input from and projects efferents to the dorsal claustrum. Most of the interconnections among areas 17, 18a, and 18b originate from neurons in layers II, III, and V and end in terminal fields in layers I-III and V. In contrast, projections of other sensory, motor, and association cortices to visual cortex originate mainly from neurons in layer V and to a lesser extent from layer II. The reciprocal pathways from visual cortex terminate predominantly in the supragranular layers. In conclusion, these corticocortical pathways provide the basis for cortical visuosensory and visuomotor integration that may aid the rat in the coordination of visually guided behaviors.