VB Inputs
The three main inputs to the VB are the spinothalamic tract (STT), excitatory glutamatergic synapses, and areas from the brain stem.
STT cells that project from laminae I and V in the lumbrosacral area of the spinal cord project to the VPL in the VB. STT cells located in the cervical area of the spinal cord are the densest and project from the neck of the dorsal horn to the VPL of the VB. Most projections to the VB are contralateral while only a few projections to the VB are ipsilateral.
Excitatory inputs to the VB are medial lemniscal (ML) and corticothalamic (CT) glutamatergic synapses. The ML is a sensory afferent input and the CT is from layer VI of the primary sensory cortex.
The VB also gets inputs from areas in the brain stem which release Acetylcholine (ACh) that can modulate activity in the VB.
Read more about this topic: Ventrobasal Complex