Chapter 34: Thalamus Flashcards
The _____, the _____, the subthalamus, and the epithalamus make up the diencephalon.
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
Most of the basal plate of the diencephalon became the _____.
- Hypothalamus
Most of the alar plate of the diencephalon became the _____.
- Thalamus
The epithalamus is a tiny part of the _____ attached to the posterior edge of the thalamus.
- Diencephalon
The thalamus rests on the superior border of the _____.
- Midbrain
Because they are lateral to the posterior part of the hypothalamus, the subthalamic nuclei cannot be seen in a _____ section of the brain.
- Sagittal
Like the hypothalamus, the subthalamic nuclei develop from the _____ plate of the _____.
- Basal
- Diencephalon (prosencephalon)
The subthalamic nuclei are _____ to the hypothalamus and inferior to the thalamus.
- Lateral
The diencephalon develops around the anterior end of the neural tube which becomes the narrow slit of the _____ between the right and left halves of the thalamus and hypothalamus.
- 3rd ventricle
Most of the _____ is inside the thalamus which is larger than the hypothalamus.
- 3rd ventricle
As its name implies, the hypothalamus is _____ to the thalamus, but it is also anterior to it.
- Inferior
The _____ splits the thalamus into mirror-image 2 halves, each of which is the size of a small hen’s egg (USDA peewee).
- 3rd ventricle
. In most people, the most medial parts of the two halves of the thalamus touch to form the massa intermedia in the center of the _____.
- 3rd ventricle
The massa intermedia is the most _____ part of the most _____ nucleus of each half of the thalamus, the nucleus reuniens.
- Medial
- Medial
The nucleus reuniens is a thin covering over the _____ surface of each _____ of the thalamus.
- Medial
- Half
The nucleus _____ gets its name from the fact that it anatomically unites the halves of the thalamus (in most people).
- Reuniens
The massa intermedia is only an _____ union; it is not a functional union.
- Anatomical
Except at the _____, the halves of the nucleus reuniens are separated from each other by the _____.
- Massa intermedia
- 3rd ventricle
The massa intermedia is part of the _____.
- Nucleus reuniens
The telencephalon grew out from the alar region of the diencephalon which became the _____.
- Thalamus
The anatomical connection of the _____ with the alar region of the diencephalaon becomes a functional connection of the cerebrum with the thalamus.
- Cerebrum
Most of the input of the rest of the nervous system to the cerebral cortex is mediated by the _____.
- Thalamus
Most thalamic nuclei project to specific areas of the ipsilateral _____.
- Cerebral cortex
All thalamic nuclei project to _____ cerebral cortex.
- Ipsilateral
Since most thalamic nuclei are named by position, the most _____ nucleus of the thalamus is called the anterior nucleus.
- Anterior
The anterior nucleus of the thalamus sends encoded memories to the cingulate gyrus of the _____.
- Cerebral cortex
The cingulate gyrus receives encoded declarative and episodic memories from the _____ of the thalamus.
- Anterior nucleus
The anterior nucleus of the thalamus is part of the circuit that encodes facts and events as declarative and episodic _____.
- Memories
The anterior nucleus of the thalamus is involved in the encoding of _____ and _____ memories, but not in the encoding of procedural memories.
- Episodic
- Declarative
Branches of the _____ supply blood to the midbrain and thalamus.
- Posterior cerebral artery
The anterior nucleus of the thalamus often receives its blood supply from the thalamoperforating branch of the _____.
- Posterior cerebral artery
When it is not supplied by the _____ artery, the anterior nucleus is supplied by the tuberothalamic branch of the posterior communicating artery.
- Thalamoperforating
The tuberothalamic artery usually supplies only the _____ of the _____.
- Anterior nucleus
- Thalamus
The anterior nucleus of the thalamus usually gets its blood supply from the tuberothalamic branch of the _____.
- Posterior communicating artery
The anterior nucleus is separated from the rest of the _____ by the arms of the Y-shaped internal medullary lamina.
- Thalamus
The internal medullary lamina is a vertical sheet of white matter that splits each half of the thalamus into medial, lateral, and _____ parts
- Anterior
The sixth of the thalamus enclosed by the split anterior end of the _____ is called the anterior nucleus.
- Internal medullary
- Lamina
The internal medullary lamina is a thin sheet of _____, but the nuclei of the thalamus are _____.
- White matter
- Gray matter
The medial part of each half of the thalamus contains the thin _____ and the large dorsomedial nucleus.
- Nucleus reuniens
The dorsomedial nuclei are separated from the rest of the thalamus by the _____.
- Internal medullary
- Lamina
Each dorsomedial nucleus projects to the _____ prefrontal region of the ______.
- Ipsilateral
- Cerebral cortex
The prefrontal cortex gets major thalamic input from the _____ through the anterior thalamic peduncle.
- Dorsomedial nucleus
The dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus projects to the prefrontal cortex through the _____.
- Anterior thalamic peduncle
The anterior and middle parts of the thalamus usually get their blood supply from the thalamoperforating branches of the _____ artery.
- Posterior cerebral artery
The most posterior part of the thalamus is the pulvinar which is separated from the _____ by the internal medullary lamina.
- Dorsomedial nucleus
Although the _____ nucleus appears larger in a dorsal view, the pulvinar is the largest part of the thalamus.
- Dorsomedial
If the _____ is considered a single nucleus, it is the largest nucleus of the thalamus.
- Pulvinar
The pulvinar directs the attention of the _____ cortex to a particular place in space.
- Parietal
The pulvinar also assists the primary motor cortex (Brodmann area 4) with the _____ orientation of motor activity.
- Spatial (positional)
A lesion in the pulvinar often leads to _____ of the contralateral visual field.
- Neglect (ignorance)
Lesions in the _____ often cause “contralateral neglect syndrome.”
- Pulvinar
The pulvinar usually gets its blood supply from the posterior choroidal branch of the _____.
- Posterior cerebral artery
The posterior cerebral artery supplies the pulvinar via the _____ artery.
- Posterior choroidal
The pulvinar and the choroid plexus of the third ventricle get their blood supply from the _____.
- Posterior choroidal artery
The pulvinar receives some visual information about _____ relationships from the lateral geniculate nucleus attached to its inferolateral surface.
- Spatial (positional)
The lateral geniculate nucleus is on the inferolateral surface of the _____ lateral to the medial geniculate nucleus.
- Pulvinar
The inferior colliculus projects to the _____ geniculate nucleus via the brachium of the inferior colliculus.
- Medial
The medial geniculate nucleus receives _____ information from the ipsilateral inferior colliculus via the _____ of the _____.
- Auditory
- Brachium
- Inferior colliculus
The medial geniculate nucleus is a relay center for _____, and the lateral geniculate nucleus is a relay center for vision.
- Hearing
Because half of each optic nerve crosses in the optic chiasma, the lateral geniculate nucleus receives _____ information from the ipsilateral half of each retina.
- Visual
The pulvinar processes spatial relationships and sends spatial information to the _____ of the parietal lobe.
- Cortex
Each half of the retina receives the image of the _____ visual field because the lens of the eye reverses and inverts images.
- Contralateral (opposite)
Thus each lateral geniculate nucleus receives information about the _____ visual field from the _____ half of each retina.
- Contralateral
- Ipsilateral
Each _____ sends images of the contralateral visual field to the ipsilateral primary visual cortex (Brodmann area 17).
- Lateral geniculate nucleus
Thalamic projections are always mostly or entirely to the _____ cerebral cortex.
- Ipsilateral
The geniculate nuclei get their blood supply from the thalamogeniculate artery which is usually a branch of the P2 division of the _____.
- Posterior cerebral artery
Occlusion of the thalamogeniculate artery or the P2 division of the posterior cerebral artery causes blindness in the _____ field.
- Contralateral (opposite)
The pulvinar and medial and lateral geniculate nuclei get their blood supply from the _____ artery.
- Thalamogeniculate
The thalamogeniculate artery is a branch of the _____ division of the _____ artery.
- P2
- Posterior cerebral
The pulvinar, at the _____ end of the thalamus, is on the lateral side of the internal medullary lamina.
- Posterior
The pulvinar thus belongs to the _____ group of thalamic nuclei.
- Lateral
The medial and lateral groups of thalamic nuclei are separated by the _____, but the dorsal and ventral groups are separated by imaginary lines.
- Internal medullary
- Lamina
The ventroposterolateral nucleus (VPL) is the most _____ nucleus in the ventrolateral group.
- Posterior
The VPL is just anterior to the _____.
- Pulvinar
The _____ occupies the posterior end of the thalamus.
- Pulvinar
The more ventral of the two nuclei anterior to the pulvinar is called the _____ nucleus.
- Ventroposterolateral
The medial lemniscus carries _____, _____, and _____ information about the trunk and limbs to the VPL.
- Discriminative touch
- Stretch
- Pressure
The spinothalamic tracts carry vague touch, _____, and _____ information from the contralateral side of the body to the VPL.
- Pain
- Temperature
VPL is an abbreviation for the _____ of the _____.
- Ventroposterolateral nucleus
- Thalamus
The _____ relays somesthetic information about the trunk and limbs to the primary somesthetic cortex in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe.
- VPL
The ventroposteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPM) is a smaller nucleus just medial to the _____.
- Ventroposterolateral nucleus
The ventroposteromedial nucleus lies between the _____ nucleus and the internal medullary lamina.
- Ventroposterolateral
The trigeminothalamic tracts bring somesthetic information from the _____ to the ventroposteromedial nucleus.
- Head
The ventral (anterior) trigeminothalamic tract brings _____, _____, _____, and _____ information from the _____ side of the head to the VPM.
- Discriminative touch
- Pressure
- Pain
- Temperature
- Contralateral (opposite)
The dorsal (posterior) trigeminothalamic tract brings _____ and _____ information from the _____ side of the head to the VPM.
- Discriminative touch
- Pressure
- Ipsilateral (same)
Somesthetic sensations from the trunk and limbs are projected to the cortex of the parietal lobe by the _____, and somesthetic sensations from the head are projected to the cortex of the parietal lobe by the _____.
- VPL
- VPM
The VPL and VPM send somesthetic sensations to the primary somesthetic cortex on the postcentral gyrus of the _____ lobe and the secondary somesthetic cortex on the inferior surface of the _____ lobe where it forms the posterior end of the roof of the lateral fissure.
- Parietal
- Parietal
The primary somesthetic cortex on the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe receives somesthetic sensation from the _____ and _____ of the _____.
- VPL
- VPM
- Thalamus
The primary somesthetic cortex is on the _____ of the _____ lobe.
- Postcentral gyrus
- Parietal
. The secondary somesthetic cortex on the roof of the lateral fissure receives somesthetic sensation from the _____ and ______.
- VPL
- VPM
The secondary somesthetic cortex is on the posterior end of the roof of the _____.
- Lateral fissure
The VPL and VPM receive balance information from the _____ _____ via the medial lemniscus.
- Ipsilateral
- Superior vestibular nucleus
Epicritic information crosses before entering the _____, balance information does not.
- Medial lemniscus
The VPL and VPM receive balance information from the _____ _____ via the medial longitudinal fasciculus.
- Contralateral
- Medial vestibular nucleus
The medial vestibular nucleus projects to the _____ abducens nucleus and the _____ VPL via the medial longitudinal fasciculus.
- Contralateral
- Contralateral
The posterior half of the insula and adjacent cortex of the parietal lobe receive balance information from the _____ and _____ of the _____.
- VPL
- VPM
- Thalamus
The sense of balance reaches consciousness in the posterior half of the _____ and the adjacent cortex of the _____ lobe.
- Insula
- Parietal
The small ventroposteroinferior nucleus (VPI) is _____ to the junction of the VPL and VPM.
- Inferior
The ventroposteroinferior nucleus (VPI) receives itch (“pruritis”) information via the _____.
- Lateral spinothalamic tract
The VPI projects the sensation of _____ to the secondary somesthetic cortex on the roof of the lateral fissure.
- Itch
The secondary somatosensory cortex receives itch sensation from the _____ of the _____.
- Ventroposteroinferior nucleus
- Thalamus
The _____ artery usually passes through the lateral geniculate nucleus to supply blood to the ventroposterolateral, ventroposteromedial, and ventroposteroinferior nuclei.
- Thalamogeniculate
The ventrolateral and ventral anterior nuclei lie between the _____ and the anterior nucleus.
- VPL
The ventral anterior nucleus is separated from the anterior nucleus by the lateral arm of the _____.
- Internal medullary lamina
The ventrolateral nucleus is just _____ to the ventral anterior nucleus.
- Posterior
The ventrolateral nucleus receives major input from the _____ nuclei of the _____ and projects to the primary motor cortex (Brodmann area 4) of the cerebrum.
- Deep (roof)
- Cerebellum
The primary motor cortex receives direct assistance in the coordination of skilled motor tasks from the _____ nucleus of the _____.
- Ventrolateral
- Thalamus
Most of the programming in the ventrolateral nucleus depends on projections from the _____ nuclei of the _____.
- Deep (roof)
- Cerebellum
Whereas the ventrolateral nucleus projects to the _____, the ventral anterior nucleus projects to the premotor cortex.
- Primary motor cortex
Whereas the ventrolateral nucleus is mostly concerned with the _____ of skilled actions, the ventral anterior nucleus is mostly concerned with the initiation of actions.
- Coordination
The initiation of actions by the _____ nucleus of the thalamus is regulated by the basal motor nuclei.
- Ventral anterior
The major input to the ventrolateral nucleus is from the _____, but the major input to the ventral anterior nucleus is from the _____.
- Cerebellum
- Basal motor nuclei
The most medial of the basal motor nuclei, the globus pallidus, inhibits the _____ nucleus to prevent unwanted actions.
- Ventral
- Anterior
Unwanted actions are prevented by the inhibition of the ventral anterior nucleus by the _____.
- Globus pallidus
The intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus are inside the _____.
- Internal medullary lamina
Medial to the ventroposterolateral nucleus, the _____ splits to enclose the most important intralaminar nucleus, the centromedian nucleus.
- Internal medullary lamina
The centromedian nucleus is medial to the _____ and superior to the VPM.
- VPL
The centromedian nucleus belongs to neither the lateral nor the medial group of thalamic nuclei because it is inside the _____ which divides the two groups.
- Internal medullary lamina
Since the internal medullary lamina is white matter, it contains myelinated _____ that connect the centromedian nucleus with many areas of the ipsilateral cerebral cortex.
- Axons (fibers)
The reciprocal connections of the centromedian nucleus of the thalamus with the ipsilateral _____ enhance alertness and motor activity.
- Cerebral cortex
Insufficient activity of the centromedian nucleus causes lapses of _____ or narcolepsy.
- Alertness
Excess activity of the centromedian nucleus produces excess _____ activity, such as nervous tics.
- Motor
The anterior and middle nuclei of the thalamus, including the centromedian nucleus, usually get their blood supply from the thalamoperforating arteries, which are usually branches of the P1 division of the _____.
- Posterior cerebral artery
Because the centromedian nuclei depend on them, occlusion of both _____ may put the patient into a coma.
- Thalamoperforating arteries
The geniculate, ventroposterolateral, ventroposteromedial, and ventroposteroinferior nuclei are supplied by the _____ artery; most of the rest of the thalamus is supplied by the ______ artery (or arteries).
- Thalamogeniculate
- Thalamoperforating
The thalamoperforating artery is usually a branch of the _____ division of the _____.
- P1
- Posterior cerebral artery
The _____ artery supplies the ventrolateral nucleus which receives projections from the _____ and projects to the _____ (Brodmann area _____).
- Thalamoperforating
- Cerebellum
- Primary motor cortex
- 4
The VL of the thalamus makes an essential contribution to _____.
- Coordination
The _____ artery supplies the ventral anterior nucleus which receives projections from the _____ and projects to the _____ (Brodmann area _____).
- Thalamorperforating
- Basal nuclei (globus pallidus)
- Premotor cortex
- 6
The VA of the thalamus is essential for _____ of _____.
- Initiation
- Movement
The anterior nucleus of the thalamus is essential for _____.
- Episodic (declarative) memory
It is widely believed that the dorsomedial (or mediodorsal) nucleus of the thalamus supports _____.
- Working memory
The _____ artery supplies _____ which processes vision and the _____ which processes hearing.
- Thalamogeniculate
- Lateral geniculate nucleus (body)
- Medial geniculate nucleus (body)
The _____ artery supplies the VPL which processes _____ in the _____ and _____ and the VPM which processes _____ in the _____.
- Thalamogeniculate
- Somesthesia
- Trunk
- Extremities
- Somesthesia
- Face
