Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Brain Lang. 2013 Jul;126(1):49-61. doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.10.001. Epub 2012 Dec 1.
Thalamic nuclei associated with language including the ventral lateral, ventral anterior, intralaminar and mediodorsal form a hub that uniquely receives the output of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, and is connected with frontal (premotor and prefrontal) cortices through two parallel circuits: a thalamic pathway targets the middle frontal cortical layers focally, and the other innervates widely cortical layer 1, poised to recruit other cortices and thalamic nuclei for complex cognitive operations. Return frontal pathways to the thalamus originate from cortical layers 6 and 5. Information through this integrated thalamo-cortical system is gated by the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus and modulated by dopamine, representing a specialization in primates. The intricate dialogue of distinct thalamic nuclei with the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and specific dorsolateral prefrontal and premotor cortices associated with language, suggests synergistic roles in the complex but seemingly effortless sequential transformation of cognitive operations for speech production in humans.
与语言相关的丘脑核团,包括腹外侧核、腹前核、内板核和内侧背核,形成了一个枢纽,它独特地接收基底神经节和小脑的输出,并通过两个平行的回路与额叶(运动前和前额叶)皮质连接:一个丘脑通路靶向额中皮质层,另一个则广泛支配皮质层 1,准备招募其他皮质和丘脑核团进行复杂的认知操作。返回丘脑的额叶通路起源于皮质层 6 和 5。通过这个整合的丘脑皮质系统的信息由抑制性丘脑网状核进行门控,并由多巴胺进行调制,这代表了灵长类动物的一种专门化。不同的丘脑核团与基底神经节、小脑以及与语言相关的特定背外侧前额叶和运动前皮质之间的复杂对话表明,它们在人类言语产生的认知操作的复杂但看似毫不费力的顺序转换中具有协同作用。