LABORATORY OF NEUROANATOMY

| Head: Prof. Anna KOSMAL, Ph.D., D.Sc. E-mail: a.kosmal@nencki.gov.pl Staff : Monika MALINOWSKA, Ph.D. Agnieszka WOŹNICKA, M.Sc. Mariusz BŁASZCZYK, M.Sc.

Laboratory of Neuroanatomy is engaged in problems of functional anatomy. The main topics are:

· the cellular features of subcortical and cortical structures related to sensory processing and memory functions;

· their neuronal connections, which determine the organization of subcortical and cortical projections reaching the cortical areas and limbic structures;

· their relation to the frontal cortex.

The cellular features of subcortical structures and cortical areas are determined through application of a standard histological methods for the myelin and Nissl substance staining and immunocytochemical method for the calcium-binding protein – parvalbumin. Chemoarchitecture is defined by using histochemical procedures like the Timm staining, sodium selenite method, acetylcholinesterase and cytochrome oxidase. Organization of neuronal connections is examined in the experimental procedures by injections of fluorochrome dyes: fast-blue (FB), diamidine-yellow (DY) and fluoro-ruby (FR), as well as the biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) injected into chosen subcortical or cortical structures. An analyze of distribution of retrograde cells labeling and anterograde labeling of axons is made by using the Nikon (Optiphot 2) microscope with fluorescent equipment, and fixed automatic stage, as well as computer image analyze system (Image Pro Plus program, 4.1 version) adapted to the camera and microscope.

Current topics in Lab. are:

- organization of the thalamo-cortical connections of the temporal cortex in the dog’s brain;

- intracortical connections of the temporal cortex forming background of processing of the auditory information;

- a morphological structure of the perirhinal and entorhinal cortex;

- comparison of the results with that in the other species, particularly with monkey brain.

Obtained results establish a morphological basis for processing of auditory information and hierarchy of sensory, parasensory and association fields of the temporal cortex. The cortical sensory fields were defined on the basis of topography of afferent projections from the medial geniculate nuclei, lateromedial-suprageniculate complex and posterior thalamic nuclei. The association areas were determined on the basis of projections from the polysensory thalamic nuclei and a multimodal convergence throughout intracortical connections. In canine brain, a convergence of auditory and visual information takes place at a low stage of the parasensory cortex of the ventral temporal and occipital cortex.

High-level association fields of the convergence of auditory, visual and somatosensory modality were defined in the anterodorsal area of the temporal cortex. Interconnections between the temporal and frontal cortex involve only the highest order of the association cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. It is in contrast with pattern of multimodal connections in the primate brains, where comparable connections with the frontal association cortex originate at a low stage of the parasensory cortex and reach various parts of the prefrontal cortex.

Selected publications:

1. Kosmal A., Malinowska M., and Kowalska D.M. Thalamic and amygdaloid connections of the auditory association cortex of the superior temporal gyrus in rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Acta Neurobiol. Exp. 1997. 57: 165-188.

2. Kosmal A., Malinowska M., and Woźnicka A. Diversity of connections of the temporal neocortex with amygdaloid nuclei in the dog (Canis familiaris). Acta Neurobiol. Exp. 1997. 57: 289-314.

3. Kosmal A. Organization of connections underlying the processing of auditory information in the dog. Prog Neuro-Psychopharmacol&Biol Psychiat. 2000. 24:825-854.

4. Kowalska DM., Kuśmierek P., Kosmal A., Mishkin M. Neither perirhinal/entorhinal nor hippocampal lesions impair short-term auditory recognition memory in dogs. Neuroscience 2001. 104: 965-978.

5. Woźnicka A., Kosmal, A. Cytoarchitecture of the canine perirhinal and postrhinal cortex. Acta Neurobiol. Exp. 2003.