Thalamus Flashcards
What are the 4 parts of the thalamus?
- Epithalamus
- Subthalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Dorsal thalamus
Which part of the thalamus is connected to the pineal gland?
Epithalamus
What is the function of the pineal gland?
- Secretes melatonin
- Develop sex organs
- Limbic system
What are the 3 portions of the epithalamus?
- Habenular trigone and nuclei
- Pineal body
- Striate medularis
What structure does the epithalamus form the roof of?
The 3rd ventricle
What is the subthalamus?
- Border between thalamus and midbrain just rostral to substantia nigra
What part of the thalamus is referred to generally when people refer to the thalamus?
- Dorsal thalamus
What systems does the epithalamus link?
- Link between limbic system in forebrain and other parts of the brain
What substances is the habenula nucleus involved in releasing?
- Neuromodulators
- Dopamine
- Norepinephrine
- Serotonin
What is the main function of the subthalamus
Regulating movements produced by skeletal muscles
What other important structures related to movement is the subthalamus connected to?
- Basal ganglia
- Substantia nigra
Where is the subthalamus located?
Between dorsal thalamus and hypothalamus
What makes up a majority of the subthalamus? What other gray matter and tracts are involved?
Subthalamic nucleus Also: - Zona incerta - Subthalamic fasciculus - Lenticular fasciculus - Ansa lenticularis
What is the major function of the hypothalamus?
Homeostatic control
Through what 2 systems does the hypothalamus maintain homeostasis? What other system is it involved in?
- Autonomic nervous system
- Endocrine through pituitary
- Limbic system
How long is the dorsal thalamus from anterior to posterior? How long is the thalamus from ventral to dorsal?
- 3cm AP
- 1.5 cm VD
What are the 2 regions of the dorsal thalamus?
- Allothalamus
- Isothalamus
Which part of the thalamus is older phylogenetically?
Allothalamus
Which part of the thalamus is newer phylogenetically?
Isothalamus
Which portion of the thalamus makes up its bulk?
Isothalamus
What are the 3 structures making up the allothalamus?
- Afferents from amygdala
- Centre-median parafascicular complex
- Intralaminar region
What are the 4 functions of the dorsal thalamus?
- Relay and integration of sensory information
- Focus attention and maintain conciousness
- Relay and integrates motor information
- Perception of low grade pain
What is the only sensory information that does not synapse directly on the thalamus before the cortex?
Smell
What are the 2 relay motor nuclei?
- Ventral anterior
- Ventral lateral
What are the 3 relay sensory nuclei?
- Ventral posterior
- Lateral geniculate
- Medial geniculate
What is the limbic relay nucleus?
Anterior
What are the main features of relay nuclei?
- Reciprocal connections with specific areas of cortex
- Relay information from long ascending tracts or from basal ganglia, cerebellium/ other motor nuclei
What effect with an ablation of specific cortical areas have?
- Degeneration of the relay nucleus to that specific area.
What are the 4 thalamocortical radiations, and what lobes to they project to?
Central: Frontal and Parietal (mostly parietal)
Optic: Occipital
Auditory: Temporal
Anterior: Frontal
What tracts synapse on the ventral posterior lateral nucleus?
- Nucleus gracilis
- Nucleus cuneatus
- Dorsal horn of spinal cord/ spinothalamic tract
What tracts synapse on the ventral posterior medial nucleus?
- Trigeminal sensory nuclei
To what structure in the cortex do the ventral posterior nuclei project to?
Primary somatosensory cortex
What structures synapse on the lateral geniculate body of the thalamus?
- Ipsilateral temporal hemiretina
- Contralateral nasal hemiretina
In reticular formation: - Raphe nuclei
- Locus coeruleus
- Other areas in pons & medulla
What structure does the lateral geniculate nucleus project to in the cortex?
Primary visual cortex
What structure synapses on the medial geniculate body?
Inferior colliculus
Where does the medial geniculate synapse in the higher centers?
Primary auditory cortex
What structures synapse on the ventral lateral nucleus?
- Ipsilateral globus palldius & substantia nigra
- Contralateral dentate nucleus
- Spinothalamic tract & vestibular nuclei
- Precentral motor cortical area
What is the target structure if the ventral lateral nucleus of the thalamus?
- Primary motor cortex
- Supplementary motor area
What part of the ventral lateral nucleus does the globus pallidus synapse on?
Anterior part
What part of the ventral lateral nucleus does the cerebellar/ vestibular nuclei and the spinal cord synapse on?
Posterior part
What part of the ventral lateral nucleus does the substantia nigra nucleus synapse on?
Medial part
What structures synapse on the ventral anterior nucleus?
- Ipsilateral globus pallidus
- Substantia nigra
- Premotor cortex
- Frontal eye field
What structure does the ventral anterior nucleus project to?
- Premotor cortex
- Supplementary motor cortex
What structures synapse on the anterior nuclear group of the thalamus?
- Mammillary body of hypothalamus via mammillothalamic tract
What structures in the cortex does the anterior nuclear group project to?
- Anterior limbic area
- Cingulate gyrus
- Parahippocampal gyrus
What system is the anterior nuclear group a part of?
- Limbic system
What does the anterior nuclear group help to control?
- Alertness
- Emotion
What does the anterior nuclear group help acquire?
Memory