Limbic System Flashcards
Limbic system functions
- emotion
- learning
- memory
- motivation
Limbic system structures
- amygdala
- hippocampus
- thalamus
- hypothalamus
- entorhinal cortex
- stria terminalis
- fornix
- septum
- olfactory bulb
Hypothalamus
Sends response to the cortex (to implement behavior and mood) and to the autonomic nervous system (to implement the visceral response)
Thalamus functions
- affective behavior
- decision making
- judgement
- memory
Mamillary bodies
Brainstem nuclei on the posterior/inferior aspect of the hypothalamus (anterior arches of the fornix)
Mamillary bodies inputs
- amygdala
- hippocampus
Mamillary bodies outputs
- thalamus
Mamillary bodies functions
- spatial memory
- recollective memory
Mamillary bodies damage
- amnesia
- wernicke-korsakoff syndrome
Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome
- Caused by lack of thiamine (vitamin B1)
- amnesia
- inability to form new memories
Hippocampus involvement
- declarative memory (facts and episodic memory)
- navigation
Hippocampal connections
Direct connection between the hippocampus and the frontal lobe in both directions, important for working memory
Hippocampal output
Output to the adjacent temporal lobe which helps to store long-term memories
Fornix role
Transmit information from the hippocampus to the mamillary bodies and to the anterior nuclei of the thalamus
Entorhinal cortex (EC) functions
- declarative memory
- spatial memories
- processes eye and ear stimuli
EC damage
Alzheimer’s disease