Basal Ganglia (thalamic nuclei)

Question 1

C.D. a 68 year old patient who was diagnosed to have
tumor on the thalamus 2 weeks ago. The patient is referred for
pre-rehabilitation prior to the removal of the tumor. Upon
assessment, the patient presents with the following signs and
symptoms: blurring of vision and pain on the facial area and on
the (B) UE and LE.

Answer 1

Lateral geniculate body
- blurring of vision

Ventral posteromedial (VPM)
- face sensation

Ventral posterolateral (VPL)
- info for pain, temp, crud touch via neospinothalamic tract and medial lemniscus of DCML pathway

Question 2

receives visual information from opposite field of vision

Answer 2

Lateral geniculate body

Question 3

thalamic relay station for the visual pathway

Answer 3

Lateral geniculate body

Question 4

receives information from the retina and sends it to the
visual cortex for processing

Answer 4

Lateral geniculate body

Question 5

● relays common sensations to consciousness
● Receives information from the face via trigeminal nerve
which projects to somatosensory cortex

Answer 5

Ventral posteromedial (VPM)

Question 6

● relays common sensations to consciousness
● Receives information for pain, temperature and crude
touch via neospinothalamic tract and medial lemniscus of
DCML pathway which projects to somatosensory cortex

Answer 6

Ventral posterolateral (VPL)

Question 7

receive the mammillothalamic tract from the mammillary
nuclei.

receive reciprocal connections with the cingulate gyrus
and hypothalamus

Answer 7

Anterior thalamic nuclei

Question 8

ANTERIOR PART OF THALAMUS

Answer 8

Anterior thalamic nuclei

Question 9

closely associated with that of the limbic system and is concerned with emotional tone and the mechanisms of recent memory.

Answer 9

Anterior thalamic nuclei

Question 10

responsible for the integration of a large variety of sensory information, including somatic, visceral, and olfactory information, and the relation of this information to one’s emotional feelings and subjective states.

Answer 10

Dorsomedial nucleus

Question 11

MEDIAL PART OF THALAMUS

Answer 11

Dorsomedial nucleus

Question 12

Large; has two-way connections with the whole prefrontal
cortex of the frontal lobe of the cerebral hemisphere

interconnected with all other groups of thalamic nuclei.

Answer 12

Dorsomedial nucleus

Question 13

The function of these nuclei are still unknown but they are known to have interconnections with other thalamic nuclei and with the parietal lobe, cingulate gyrus, and occipital and temporal lobes.

Answer 13

Dorsal tier:

Lateral Dorsal nucleus, lateral posterior nucleus, and pulvinar

Question 14

connected to the reticular formation, the substantia nigra, the corpus striatum, and the premotor cortex as well as to many of the other thalamic nuclei.

Since It lies on the pathway between the corpus striatum and the motor areas of the frontal cortex, it is believed to influence the activities of the motor cortex

Answer 14

Ventral anterior nucleus

Question 15

Has a major input from the cerebellum and a minor input from the red nucleus.

Answer 15

Ventral lateral nucleus

Question 16

Its main projections pass to the motor and premotor regions of the cerebral cortex.

Similarly, this thalamic nucleus may influence motor activity.

Answer 16

Ventral lateral nucleus

Question 17

Are small collections of nerve cells within the internal medullary lamina.

Answer 17

Intralaminar nuclei

Question 18

They receive afferent fibers from the reticular formation as well as fibers from the spinothalamic and trigeminothalamic tracts;

They also send efferent fibers to other thalamic nuclei, which in turn project to the cerebral cortex, and fibers to the corpus striatum.

Answer 18

Intralaminar nuclei

Question 19

They believed to influence the levels of consciousness and alertness in an individual.

Answer 19

Intralaminar nuclei

Question 20

consist of groups of nerve cells adjacent to the third ventricle and in the interthalamic connection.

Answer 20

Midline nuclei

Question 21

receive afferent fibers from the reticular formation.

Their precise functions are unknown

Answer 21

Midline nuclei

Question 22

The function of this nucleus is not fully understood, but it may be concerned with a mechanism by which the cerebral cortex regulates thalamic activity

Answer 22

Reticular nucleus

Question 23

forms part of the auditory pathway

receives auditory information from both ears but predominantly from the opposite ear.

Answer 23

Medial geniculate body

Question 24

Influences motor activity

Answer 24

Ventral anterior
Ventral lateral

Question 25

relays common sensations to consciousness

Answer 25

Ventral posteromedial (VPM)
Ventral posterolateral (VPL)
Intralaminar (Consciousness and alertness)

Question 26

emotional related

Answer 26

Anterior (emotional tone)
Dorsomedial (Integration of info in relation to emotional feelings)

Question 27

Unknown functions

Answer 27

Lateral dorsal, lateral posterior, pulvinar

midline