Form and distribution of neurons in rat cingulate cortex: Areas 32, 24, and 29

The cytoarchitecture of rat cingulate cortex is described. This includes the topographical distribution and layering patterns of Brodmann's areas 25, 32, 24, and 29a, b, c, and d. Area 24 is subdivided into a ventral area 24a and a dorsal area 24b, but an area 23 could not be identified between areas 24 and 29 An analysis of Golgi impregnations in areas 32, 24, and 29 demonstrates that most neuronal types recognized in neocortical areas are also present in cingulate cortex. Besides typical and inverted pyramidal cells, there is a wide variety of nonpyramidal cells, including multipolar, bitufted, and bipolar cells. Small multipolar cells with small somata, a dendritic tree limited to one or two layers, sparse to moderately spinous dendrites and one of two varieties of short axonal trajectories are present in layers I and II of areas 32, 24, and 29d. Medium multipolar cells occur mainly in layers III and V; they have extensive dendritic trees which traverse three or more layers, moderately spinous dendrites, and an axonal plexus which either ascends or descends in the cortex. Large multipolar cells are also frequent in layers III and V; their extensive dendritic trees are essentially spine free and they have axons which form dense terminations, particularly in the layer above the one in which the cell body is located Neurons with elongated somata and a primarily vertical orientation of the dendritic tree are either bitufted or bipolar. Bitufted cells are most frequent in layers II and III of areas 32, 24, and 29d. These cells have dendritic trees which form “hourglass shaped” fields, dendrites which are moderately spinous, and axons which form either extensive horizontal and vertical projections or are “chandelier” in form. Bipolar cells, in contrast, are found in layers II–V; their sparsely spinous dendrites form narrow dendritic trees which are oriented vertically and extend across four or more layers, and their axons have the same vertical orientation as the dendritic tree It is concluded that the form of the axonal arbors of nonpyramidal cells frequently mimics the extent and shape of their dendritic trees. Thus, small multipolar cells with limited, spherical dendritic trees may have axons which arch sharply and emit short, terminal branches. In contrast, medium and large multipolar cells have more extensive dendritic and axonal arbors which traverse two, three, or more layers. Of the fusiform cells, bitufted ones with their “hourglass” dendritic trees have extensive vertical and horizontally oriented axonal branches, while bipolar cells have narrow, vertically oriented dendritic and axonal arbors The granular layers II–IV of area 29c contain the following types of neurons: small and fusiform pyramids, medium-sized pyramids, large stellate cells, and medium multipolar cells. Fusiform pyramids are the only neurons unique to cingulate cortex. They are similar to the variety of pyramidal cells, but have an oval soma and only one basal dendrite which extends from the base of the cell body to arborize in layer IV. Large stellate cells differ from large multipolar cells in that they have densely spinous dendrites and axons which enter the white matter.