Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Density in the "Higher-Order" Thalamus Projecting to the Prefrontal Cortex in Humans: a PET Study.

This particular neurochemical organization of the thalamus supports a major role of the cholinergic system in the loops between the thalamus and the prefrontal cortex. The highest nicotinic acetylcholine receptor density in the « higher-order thalamus » could partly explain the beneficial effect of acute nicotine on attentional and executive functions and possibly the pathophysiology of some neuropsychiatric disorders.