Structural organization, neurochemical characteristics, and connections of the reticular nucleus of the thalamus.

This review analyzes current concepts of the structural organization and ultrastructure of the reticular nucleus of the thalamus (RNT) and the neurochemical characteristics of its neurons. The topography, cytoarchitectonics, and neuronal organization of this nucleus are considered in detail, as are questions of its neurogenesis. Neurochemical data clarifying the representation of neurotransmitter systems in the RNT and data on neuropeptides synthesized in its neurons are systematized. The complex ultrastructural organization of the RNT is characterized in terms of recent data from state-of-the-art immunocytochemical methods allowing localization of glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors on synaptic elements. Data on the afferent and efferent connections of the RNT demonstrate its influences on various parts of the brain and the specific features of its interactions with cortical formations.