Mammillothalamic tract
Details
Identifiers
Latinfasciculus mammillothalamicus
TA98A14.1.08.671
A14.1.08.954
TA25757
FMA83849
Anatomical terminology

The mammillothalamic tract (also mammillary fasciculus,[1] mammillothalamic fasciculus, thalamomammillary fasciculus, bundle of Vicq d’Azyr) is an efferent pathway of the mammillary body which projects to the anterior nuclei of thalamus. It consists of heavily myelinated fibres.[1] It is part of a brain circuit involved in spatial memory.[2][3]

It arises from (the medial and lateral nuclei of) the mammillary body and from fibers that are directly continued from the fornix.[2][3] It connects the mammillary body to the dorsal tegmental nuclei, the ventral tegmental nuclei, and the anterior thalamic nuclei.[2][3][4]

Structure

Axons divide within the gray matter; the thicker fibres form the MTT while the finer branches descend as the mammillotegmental fasciculus.[2] The MTT spreads fan-like as it terminates in the medial dorsal nucleus.[2] Some fibers pass through the dorsal nucleus to the angular nucleus of the thalamus. (a group of cells ventral to the lateral dorsal nucleus of thalamus[5]). The axons from these nuclei form part of the thalamocortical radiations.[6]

Clinical significance

Infarction of the region including the mammillothalamic tract has been associated with alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome.[7]

History

The mammillothalamic tract was first described by the French physician, Félix Vicq d'Azyr, from whom it takes its alternate name (bundle of Vicq d'Azyr).[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Patestas, Maria A.; Gartner, Leslie P. (2016). A Textbook of Neuroanatomy (2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 434. ISBN 978-1-118-67746-9.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Dillingham, C. M; Frizzati, A; Nelson, A. J; Vann, S. D (2015). "How do mammillary body inputs contribute to anterior thalamic function?". Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 54: 108–119. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.025. PMC 4462591. PMID 25107491.
  3. ^ a b c Aggleton, J. P; O'Mara, S. M; Vann, S. D; Wright, N. F; Tsanov, M; Erichsen, J. T (2010). "Hippocampal–anterior thalamic pathways for memory: Uncovering a network of direct and indirect actions". European Journal of Neuroscience. 31 (12): 2292–2307. doi:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07251.x. PMC 2936113. PMID 20550571.
  4. ^ Haines DE (2003). Neuroanatomy: Atlas of Structures, Sections, and Systems, 6th ed (page 148). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0781746779.
  5. ^ NeuroNames. Angular Thalamic Nucleus --> "What, Where and How Big is It?" BrainInfo. Accessed January 25, 2011.
  6. ^ Kamali, Arash; Zhang, Caroline C.; Riascos, Roy F.; Tandon, Nitin; Bonafante-Mejia, Eliana E.; Patel, Rajan; Lincoln, John A.; Rabiei, Pejman; Ocasio, Laura; Younes, Kyan; Hasan, Khader M. (2018-03-27). "Diffusion tensor tractography of the mammillothalamic tract in the human brain using a high spatial resolution DTI technique". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 5229. Bibcode:2018NatSR...8.5229K. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23452-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 5869722. PMID 29588461.
  7. ^ Yoneoka Y, Takeda N, Inoue A, et al. (2004). "Acute Korsakoff syndrome following mammillothalamic tract infarction". AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 25 (6): 964–8. PMID 15205131.

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