Efferent connections of the subfascicular area of the mesodiencephalic junction and its possible involvement in stimulation-produced analgesia

Stimulation-produced analgesia (SPA) can be induced in animals and humans from an ill-defined area of the mesodiencephalic junction lying beneath the parafascicular complex of the medial thalamus. Neurons projecting to the spinal cord, the subnucleus caudalis of the trigeminal complex, the nuclei raphé magnus and dorsalis, the imferior olivary complex and the amygdala could be observed in this area, using the retrograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. On the basis of the locations of the neurons projecting to these different areas, 3 subnuclei were delineated: the rostral interstitial nucleus of the MLF lying laterally along the medial tip of the medial lemniscus, containing a few neurons projecting to the raphé nuclei and the inferior olivary complex; the subparafascicular nucleus (spf) lying medially in the rostralmost part of the area and containing neurons projecting to the amygdala and basal ganglia; the subfascicular area of the mesodiencephalic junction lying medially and caudal to the spf and containing neurons projecting to the raphé nuclei, the inferior olive, the caudalis subnucleus of the trigeminal complex and the spinal cord. The possibility that the subfascicular area of the mesodiencephalic junction is the effective site for SPA is discussed.