The rubro‐olivary projection in the macaque: An experimental study with silver impregnation methods

The rubro‐olivary projection in the macaque has been studied by making lesions in the red nucleus and mapping terminal degeneration with the method of Nauta‐Laidlaw. Lesions restricted to the parvocelluar region have been obtained and confirm that the tract originates from that portion of the red nucleus. The distribution is mainly in the principal olive and in this sub‐nucleus, more extensive than in the cat. Small projections to the medial accessory olive and dorsomedial cell column of the olive are also reported. A topographical arrangement of the rubro‐olivary fibers was found. The projection is made of fibers of fine caliber which degenerate slowly. Optimal survival time was around 16 days. A correlation of the rubro‐olivary projection with the distribution of the olivo‐cerebellar projection indicates that the rubro‐olivary fibers represent one of the links in reciprocal connections between the cerebellum and red nucleus.

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