This hub page provides navigation to all cortical neuron types in the NeuroWiki knowledge base. Cortical neurons are the primary computational units of the cerebral cortex, organized into six distinct layers with specialized cell types. The cortex underlies higher-order brain functions including perception, cognition, decision-making, and voluntary motor control. Cortical neurons are critically affected in Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and ALS (upper motor neurons).
The neocortex consists of six layers (I-VI) with distinct neuronal populations:
flowchart TD
subgraph Cortical_Layers
L1["Layer I<br/>Molecular Layer"]
L23["Layer II/III<br/>External Granular"]
L4["Layer IV<br/>Internal Granular"]
L5["Layer V<br/>Internal Pyramidal"]
L6["Layer VI<br/>Multiform"]
subgraph L1_cellsL1 C"ells"
L1["Interneurons (Cajal-Retzius)"]
end
subgraph L23_cellsL2/3 C"ells"
L23["Pyramidal Neurons (Corticocortical)"]
L23_INT["Interneurons"]
end
subgraph L4_cellsL4 C"ells"
L4["Spiny Stellate Cells (Thalamic Input)"]
L4_INT["Interneurons"]
end
subgraph L5_cellsL5 C"ells"
L5["_PT["Pyramidal Tract<br/>S"ubcortical Output""]
L5_ITIntratelencephalic
L5["_BETZ["Betz Cells<br/>M"otor Cortex""]
end
subgraph L6_cellsL6 C"ells"
L6["_CT["Corticothalamic<br/>F"eedback""]
L6_INT["Interneurons"]
end
end
flowchart TD
subgraph Principal_Neurons
C["Cortical Neurons"]
P["Pyramidal Neurons"]
PY --> L5["Layer 5 Pyramidal"]
PY --> L23["Layer 2/3 Pyramidal"]
PY --> L6["Layer 6 Pyramidal"]
PY --> B["ETZBetz Cells"]
CN --> S["Spiny Stellates"]
end
subgraph I "nterneurons"
I["Cortical Interneurons"]
INT --> P["VPV+ Fast-Spiking"]
INT --> S["STSST+ Dendritic"]
INT --> V["IPVIP+ Disinhibitory"]
INT --> C["CKCCK+ Modulatory"]
end
- Cortical Pyramidal L5 — Main page
- Cortical Pyramidal Layer 5 — IT/PT subtypes
- Betz Cells — Giant pyramidal motor cortex neurons
Key characteristics:
- Cortical Pyramidal L2/3 — Main page
- Cortical Pyramidal Layer 2/3 — Corticocortical connections
Key characteristics:
- Cortical Layer 6 Neurons — Corticothalamic feedback
Key characteristics:
- Posterior Parietal Pyramidal — Spatial processing
- PV Interneurons — Main page
- Basket Cells Fast-Spiking — Perisomatic inhibition
- Large Basket Cells — Wide-field inhibition
- Chandelier Cells — Axon initial segment targeting
Key characteristics:
- SST Interneurons — Main page
- Martinotti cells, non-Martinotti cells
Key characteristics:
- VIP Interneurons — Main page
Key characteristics:
- CCK Interneurons — Cannabinoid-modulated
- Calretinin Interneurons — Calcium buffering
- Layer 1 Cortical Interneurons — Neuromodulatory
- Spiny Stellate Cells — Main page
- Cortical Layer 4 Spiny Neurons — Thalamic input
Key characteristics:
| Neuron Type |
Layer(s) |
Markers |
Projections |
| IT Pyramidal |
L2/3, L5, L6 |
Satb2, CUX1/2 |
Corticocortical, Striatum |
| PT Pyramidal |
L5b |
CTIP2, Bcl11b, FoxP2 |
Brainstem, Spinal cord |
| CT Pyramidal |
L6 |
Tle4, FoxP2, CTIP2 |
Thalamus |
| Spiny Stellate |
L4 |
RORB, Reln |
Local circuits |
| PV+ Interneurons |
All |
Pvalb, GAD67, Kv3.1 |
Local inhibition |
| SST+ Interneurons |
L2-6 |
Sst, GAD67 |
Local inhibition |
| VIP+ Interneurons |
L2-6 |
VIP, Calretinin |
Local inhibition |
- L2/3 Entorhinal — First affected (Braak I-II)
- CA1 hippocampal projection — Early loss
- PV+ interneurons — Reduced in AD, gamma disruption
- Layer 3/5 pyramidal — Tau pathology, neurodegeneration
- Layer 3/5 pyramidal — TDP-43, tau pathology
- Behavioral variant — Frontal cortex
- Primary progressive aphasia — Temporal cortex
- Betz cells — Degeneration in motor cortex
- Layer 5 PT — Corticospinal tract degeneration
- TDP-43 pathology — Nuclear depletion, cytoplasmic aggregation
-
Interneuron dysfunction — PV+ cell loss, GABAergic deficit
-
Layer 3/4 — Dendritic spine reduction
-
Gamma oscillations — Impaired synchrony
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Neurons Overview
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Cortical Circuits
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Cortical Layers
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Frontal Cortex
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Motor Cortex
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Neurons Major brain cell type
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Alzheimer's Disease
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Frontotemporal Dementia
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ALS