Subcortical Areas Of The Brain

Question 1

What are basal nuclei

Answer 1

Caudate nucleus
Putamen
Globes pallidus
Subthalamic nucleus
Substantia nigra

Question 2

Where are the basal nuclei located

Answer 2

Collection of nucleus deep to the white matter of cerebral cortex

Question 3

Striatum =

Answer 3

Caudate nucleus + putamen

Question 4

Caudate nucleus + putamen =

Answer 4

Striatum

Question 5

Describe caudate nucleus and putamen

Answer 5

Separated by ant. Limb of internal capsule
Both input nuclei to the basal nuclei
Receive excitatory input

Question 6

Describe globes pallidus

Answer 6

Can be subdivided ; externa (Gpe) and interna (Gpi)
Output nucleus of basal nuclei
Both parts fucntionally different with different connections

Question 7

Lentiform nucleis =

Answer 7

Globus pallidus + putamen

Question 8

Subthalamic nucleus

Answer 8

Receives Afferent from the cortex and other basal nucleu structures
Output excitatory to globus pallidus and substantia nigra

Question 9

Substantia nigra

Answer 9

In rostral midbrain
Dopaminergic neurons project to striatum and subthalamic nucleus

Question 10

Describe the limbic system

Answer 10

Structures referred to as limbic lobe
Ring of cortex spanning frontal, parietal & temporal lobes
Influence ANS, endocrine secretions, emotional behaviour

Question 11

What are the structures in the limbic system

Answer 11

Structures include:
• Subcallosal gyrus
• Cingulate gyrus
• Parahippocampal gyrus
• Hippocampal formation
• Amygdaloid nucleus
• Mammillary bodies
• Ant. Thalamic nucleus

Question 12

What are the 3 parts of the hippocampus/hippocampal formation

Answer 12

Subiculum
Hippocampus proper (Ammon horn)
Dentate gyrus

Question 13

Describe ht hippocampus

Answer 13

Hippocampus and subiculum fibres form fimbria becoming fornix (output pathway)
Send fibres to entorhinal cortex
Neurogenesis occurs in dentate gyrus
Hippocampus - memory

Question 14

Describe the amygdala

Answer 14

Afferent include visual, somatosensory, gustatory and olfactory, thalamus and cortical
Plays a role in emotions, emotional memory and learning, fear and related behaviours and reward
If damaged normal facilitation of attention and memory of emotional stimuli affected

Question 15

What does the Diencephalon consist of

Answer 15

Thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus

Question 16

Describe the structure of the Diencephalon

Answer 16

Located between the brainstem and the cerebral hemisphere
Continuous with the rostral part of the midbrain
Forms the lateral wall of the 3rd ventricle

Question 17

Describe the thalamus

Answer 17

2 thalami n eon each side of the 3rd ventricle
Connected by iterthalamic connection
Receives and processes all information coming from the cerebrum
Subcortical structures project to the cortex via thalamus
Mediates emotional response, arousal and emotion

Question 18

Describe the input o the thalamus

Answer 18

Specific (drivers) information that must be forwarded to the cortex
Regulatory (modulators) modulate and regulate what is sent to the cortex

Question 19

What are the functional nuclei of the thalamus

Answer 19

Relay - motor, sensory and limbic
Association - connect with cortex
Other- connect with basal nuclei, limbic system, reticular nucleus

Question 20

What are relay nuclei in thalamus

Answer 20

Sensory relay nuclei
Input related to sensory receptors
MGN - medial geniculate nucleus
LGN - lateral geniculate nucleus

Question 21

What are relay nuclei in thalamus

Answer 21

Input related to motor areas
VA - ventral anterior nucleus
VL - ventral lateral nucleus

Question 22

Limbic relay nuclei in thalamus

Answer 22

Anterior nucleus ANT input from ipsilateral mammillary body, relayed to cingulate cortex and prefrontal and parietal cortices
Lateral dorsal nucleus LD input from entorhinal cortex relayed to cingulate and prefrontal and parietal cornices

Question 23

What are limbic association nuclei in thalamus

Answer 23

Dorsomedial nuclei - connections throughout the limbic system

Question 24

Association nuclei in thalamus Diencephalon

Answer 24

Pulvinar (PUL) – reciprocal extensive connections
• Receives input from retina & visual assoc. areas to integrate and evaluate. Visuospatial working memory
• Related to auditory processing, coordinates and engages areas important in language
Dorsomedial nucleus
• Afferent fibres from basal nuclei & amygdala also
• Plays a role in limbic circuit of motivational & emotional aspects of behaviour

Question 25

Association nuclei

Answer 25

Modulators in interactions of one part of the cortex with another

Question 26

Intralaminar nuceli

Answer 26

Centromedian (CM) & Parafasicular (PF) nuclei
• Play a role in arousal and in facilitating awareness & vigilance.
• Connections to striatum suggest a role in facilitating goal orientated behaviour

Question 27

Thalamus reticular nucleus

Answer 27

Sheet of neurons surrounding the thalamus
Modulate excitatory projections between the thalamus & cortex influencing the flow of information from the thalamus

Question 28

What is the hypothalamus

Answer 28

Floor of Diencephalon
Attached to pituitary gland at ventral side by infundibulum, penetrated by 3rd ventricle
Main homeostatic centre, direct contact with blood, monitors everything, secretes hormones

Question 29

What nuclei does hypothalamus house

Answer 29

• Supraoptic
• Paraventricular
• Ventromedial
• Suprachiasmatic
• Dorsomedial
• Arcuate
• Tuberal

Question 30

Afferent connections of hypothalamus

Answer 30

General somatic, visceral, gustatory
Limbic system
Olfactory information
Thalamohypothalamic
Retinohypothalamic

Question 31

Efferent connections of the hypothalamus

Answer 31

Descending to visceral motor nuclei via brainstem and spinal cord (sympathetic and parasympathetic nuclei and ganglia)
Ascending to the thalamus

Question 32

What is the epithalamus

Answer 32

Forms the roof of the Diencephalon
Consists of:
-pineal gland (plays a role in circadian rhythm)
-habenular nucleus (centre for integration for olfactory, visceral and somatic efferent pathways)