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The NeSys Database on Brain Map Transformations in Cerebellar Systems
Welcome to the NeSys archive on structure and structure-function data about brain map transformations in the cerebellar system of the rat. This archive presents data not illustrated in the original publications, downloadable original data sets, interactive illustration sequences, including 3-D models. The repository is based on 5 original publications, listed below. These publications deal with
  • organization of projections to the pontine nuclei from three cortical areas: primary and secondary somatosensory areas (SI and SII), and the primary motor cortex (MI)
  • organization of pontine neurons projecting to somatosensory representations in the posterior cerebellum
Axonal tracer substances are injected into electrophysiologically defined locations in the cerebral and cerebellar cortex, and distributions of terminal fields of labeling (following cerebral cortical injections) or cells of origin (following cerebellar injections) are mapped, computer reconstructed in 3-D, and transferred to a common, standardized coordinate system for the pontine nuclei. For details concerning background, motivation, methods, results and conclusions, we refer to the papers. After tracer injection into physiologically defined regions, axonal labeling and relevant anatomic reference structures were recorded using an image-combining computerized microscope (Leergaard and Bjaalie, Neurosci Res. 1995; 22:231-243) and reconstructed in 3-D using forerunners of the program Micro3D (Bjaalie et al., Int J Neurosci. 2006; 116:515-40. The 3-D reconstructions were scaled to the same average size and transferred to a standard pontine coordinate system by linear wharping. The labeling data are shown as dots within standard diagrams.
The data are also included in the FACCS application, a relational database application with embedded analytical tools, available via the The Rodent Brain Workbench (www.rbwb.org).
More about the vision: Support:
NeSys Research and Database development is supported by The Research Council of Norway, The European Community (grants QLRT-2000-02256 and QLG3-CT 1999-00763), The Norwegian Consortium for High Performance Computing, and The Jahre Foundation.
 
1   1. Pontine projections from SI cortex
Leergaard TB, Lyngstad KA, Thompson JH, Taeymans S, Vos BP, De Schutter E, Bower JM and Bjaalie JG: Rat somatosensory cerebropontocerebellar pathways: Spatial relationships of the somatotopic map of the primary somatosensory cortex are preserved in a three-dimensional clustered pontine map. (J Comp Neurol. 422:246-266, 2000)
2 2. Pontine projections from SI whisker barrel field
Leergaard TB, Alloway KD, Mutic JJ, and Bjaalie JG: Three-dimensional topography of corticopontine projections from rat barrel cortex: Correlations with corticostriatal organization. (J Neurosci. 20:8474-8484, 2000)
3
   3. Pontine projections from homeotopic representations of SI, SII, and MI
Leergaard TB, Alloway KD, Pham TA, Bolstad I, Hoffer Z, Pettersen C, Bjaalie JG
Three-dimensional topography of corticopontine projections from rat sensorimotor cortex: Comparisons with corticostriatal projections reveal diverse integrative organization. (J Comp Neurol. 478: 306-322, 2004)
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4. Pontine cells projecting to posterior cerebellum
Odeh F, Ackerley R, Bjaalie JG, Apps R
Pontine maps linking somatosensory and cerebellar cortices are in register with climbing fiber somatotopy (J Neurosci. 2005; 25: 5680-5690)
5 5. Atlas of rat brain stem precerebellar system
Supplementary illustrations and movie sequences.
Brevik A, Leergaard TB, Svanevik M, and Bjaalie JG: Three-dimensional computerized atlas of the rat brain stem precerebellar system: Approaches for mapping, visualization, and comparison of spatial distribution data. (Anat Embryol. 204:319-332, 2001)
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