the diencephalon

Question 1

What are the 6 relay nuclei of the thalamus?

Answer 1

VPL - ventral posterolateral
VPM- ventral posteromedial
LGB- lateral geniculate body
MGB- medial geniculate body
VA/VL- ventral anterior, ventral lateral
ANT- anterior

Question 2

VPL

Answer 2

ventral posteriolateral

relays sensory info from body to the somatosensory cortex

Question 3

VPM

Answer 3

ventral posteromedial

sensory info from the head to the somatosensory cortex

(trigeminal N.)

Question 4

LGB

Answer 4

lateral geniculate body

relays optic information to the visual cortex

(optic N)

Question 5

MGB

Answer 5

relays auditory information to the auditory cortex

Question 6

VA/VL

Answer 6

relays info from the basal ganglia and cerebellum to the motor cortex

Question 7

ANT

Answer 7

relays info from the mamillary bodies to the cingulate gyrus (limbic system)

Question 8

what are association nuclei?

Answer 8

nuclei that receive input from a variety of places and project to broad areas of association cortex
LP/MD

Question 9

what are non-specific nuclei?

Answer 9

they are generally involved in ARAS system

they seem to regulate levels of cortical excitatbility and thalamic activity

Question 10

what usually causes damage to the thalamus?

Answer 10

stroke, occasionally tumors

Question 11

Damage to the posterior thalamus affects what?

Answer 11

contralateral sensation

Question 12

which nuclei have somatotopic organization

Answer 12

VA/VL