Intrinsic Properties of Neurons in Motor Thalamus and Connected Cortex

Abstract Intrinsic properties of neurons are given by the interaction of morphological, synaptic, and voltage-gated properties. Motor thalamus generally conforms with known cellular properties of other thalamic areas, including cholinergic modulation and t-type calcium-channel-dependent burst firing. Different thalamocortical neuron subtypes display different layer specificity in their connection to motor cortex, but their functional specificity remains incompletely understood. The ventromedial motor thalamus in rodents forms an excitatory loop with anterolateral motor cortex, which is further modulated by both cerebellar and basal ganglia inputs. Distinct motor cortical feedback from layer 5b and layer 6 to motor thalamus may perform the role of driver and modulator input, respectively. Overall, the motor thalamus can be considered a hub of cortical and subcortical input integration. The precise synaptic input/output modulation by intrinsic properties is state dependent, and further affected by disease states such as Parkinson’s disease.