Recent evidence suggests that aberrant nicotinic receptor (nAChR) expression plays an important role in schizophrenia. The present study sought to examine the distribution of nAChRs within the thalamus and associated cholinergic structures by examining nAChR subunit mRNA expression usingin situhybridization histochemistry. Transcripts for α4 and β2 subunits were found in high levels in all thalamic nuclei and at lower levels in cholinergic nuclei (PPTg and MS/VDB). Distribution of mRNA encoding for additional subunits was restricted; lower β3 subunit transcript levels were detected in the anterior thalamic nuclei and portions of the lateral and posterior thalamic nuclei, with α7 transcripts being detected in cholinergic nuclei, the IMD and very low levels in the RTN. Low levels of α6 and β3 transcript were found only within the RTN.