Pulvinar Associative role in cortical function and clinical correlations

The pulvinar is the largest nucleus of the thalamus and has strong connectivity with the visual cortex. The pulvinar is a prototypic association nucleus that participates in reciprocal cortico-cortical interactions and promotes synchronized oscillatory activity in functionally related areas of the cortex. Via its connections with the superior colliculus (SC) and areas of the dorsal visual stream projecting to the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), the pulvinar is an important component of the visual attention network. Visual salience is likely an important function of the pulvinar. The pulvinar also participates in mechanisms of social cognition and blindsight. Unilateral lesions of the pulvinar result in a contralateral neglect syndrome resembling that resulting from lesions of the posterior parietal cortex. The pulvinar is susceptible to damage in epilepsy and prion disorders, and may contribute to cognitive and visual manifestations of Lewy body disease. The anatomy, physiology, and putative function of the pulvinar and its involvement in neurologic disorders have been the subject of comprehensive reviews.(1-3</SUP)