Lecture 8- The limbic system Flashcards
Deep nuclei is formed:
Around ventricles
Deep nuclei in the limbic system are present:
Around the inside of ventricles (amygdala, hippocampus, fornix, mammillary bodies)
Deep nuclei in the basal nuclei are present:
Around the outside of ventricles (caudate, lentiform nuclei)
Importance of amygdala in the limbic system:
Connections to hippocampus
Output to hypothalamus
Importance of fornix in the limbic system:
Connects hippocampus to mammillary bodies
Importance of hippocampus in the limbic system
Connections with amygdala
Output to hypothalamus via white matter tracts (fimbria and fornix)
Hippocampal location:
In the medial temporal lobe
3 primary cell layers in hippocampus
Dentate gyrus, CA3 and CA1
Major output of hippocampus:
Via the fimbria and fornix
Primary role of hippocampus:
Encode and consolidate memories
Amygdala receives ____ input from the environment and it causes ____
Visual and auditory, threat detection
Fight or flight response in amygdala is invoked by which areas:
Hypothalamus and brainstem
Damage of the amygdala leads to several impairments:
- Inability to recognize fearful situations or fear
- Loss of inhibition
- Impaired emotional memories
Abnormal activation of the amygdala is associated with:
- Panic disorder
- PTSD
- GAD
- Structures involved in memory formation
Thalamic nuclei, fornix, amygdala, mammillary bodies, hippocampus, cingulate cortex, anterior thalamic nuclei
Hippocampus role in memory formation
- Who what when why
Mammillary body’s role in memory formation
Relay to thalamus
Anterior thalamic nuclei role in memory formation
Alertness, relay to cortex
Cingulate cortex role in memory formation
Cortical connections, reality check
Amnesia:
Memory loss of facts or experiences
H.M.
Underwent bilateral medial temporal lobe excision for uncontrollable seziures
- Surgery cured seizures, caused anterograde amnesia
- No effect on intellectual function
- No retrograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia:
A deficit in the ability to form new memories following the time of brain injury
Retrograde amnesia:
A loss of long-term memories
Why can anterograde and retrograde amnesia occur independently?
Multiple memory systems utilize different brain regions