The Forebrain: Diencephalon + White Matter

Question 1

What does the forebrain consist of?

Answer 1

diencephalon and telencephalon

Question 2

What does the diencephalon consist of?

Answer 2

thalamus, hypothalamus and subthalamus

Question 3

What is the thalamus function?

Answer 3

functions to regulate and relay sensory, motor and limbic information to the appropriate area of the ipsilateral cerebral cortex as well as to regulate the flow of information between different areas of the cortex

Question 4

What is the hypothalamus function?

Answer 4

regulate body homeostasis via control of the endocrine and autonomic nervous system; also functions with the limbic system in regulating our motivation and emotional aspects of behaviour

Question 5

What are the structures that border the diencephalon?

Answer 5

medial- 3rd ventricle; lateral- posterior limb of the internal capsule; superior- body of the lateral ventricle; inferior- mesencephalon, subarachnoid space; rostral- interventricular foramen, anterior commissure, lamina terminalis and optic chiasm

Question 6

What are the two classifications of the thalamic nuclei?

Answer 6

relay nuclei OR association nuclei

Question 7

What’s the function of thalamic relay nuclei?

Answer 7

receive specific input and relay that input to specific functional areas of the cerebral cortex

Question 8

What are the types of information relayed by the thalamic relay nuclei?

Answer 8

motor, sensory or limbic

Question 9

What are the types of motor relay nuclei?

Answer 9

ventral anterior (VA) and ventral lateral (VL)

Question 10

What are the types of sensory relay nuclei?

Answer 10

ventral posterolateral (VPL), ventral posteromedial (VPM), lateral geniculate (LGN) and medial geniculate (MGN)

Question 11

What are the types of limbic relay nuclei?

Answer 11

anterior (ANT) and lateral dorsal (LD)

Question 12

Where does the ventral anterior (VA) and ventral lateral (VL) motor relay nuclei receive input from? Where do they project to?

Answer 12

VA and VL receive input from the basal nuclei and cerebellum and project to the primary motor and premotor areas in the frontal lobe. The information is used in the adjustment of movement patterns.

Question 13

Where does the ventral posterolateral (VPL) sensory relay nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 13

VPL receives somatosensory information from the body and relays it to the primary somatosensory cortex in the postcentral gyrus of the parie lobe.

Question 14

Where does the ventral posteromedial (VPM) sensory relay nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 14

VPM receives somatosensory information from the head and relays it to the primary somatosensory cortex in the postcentral gyrus of the parie lobe.

Question 15

Where does the lateral geniculate (LGN) sensory relay nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 15

LGN receives visual information from the optic tract and relays it to the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe.

Question 16

Where does the medial geniculate (MGN) sensory relay nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 16

MGN receives auditory information from the inferior colliculus and relays it to the primary auditory cortex in the transverse temporal gyri of temporal lobe

Question 17

Where does the anterior (ANT) limbic relay nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 17

ANT receives input from the mammillary bodies and relays it to the cingulate gyrus, parietal and prefrontal cortices.

Question 18

Where does the lateral dorsal (LD) limbic relay nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 18

LD receives input from the entorhinal cortex and relays it to the cingulate gyrus and parietal cortex

Question 19

What are the association nuclei?

Answer 19

dorsomedial and pulvinar

Question 20

Where does the dorsomedial (MD) association nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 20

receive widespread inputs; projects to the prefrontal association cortex

Question 21

Where does the pulvinar association nuclei receive input from? Where does it project to?

Answer 21

receive widespread inputs; projects to the posterior multimodal association area: parietal-occipital-temporal cortex

Question 22

Which of the following is not a thalamic relay nucleus? a) lateral geniculate b) ventral anterior c) ventral posteromedial d) anterior e) dorsomedial

Answer 22

dorsomedial

Question 23

Which of the following is not a sensory relay nucleus? a) lateral geniculate b) ventral lateral c) ventral posteromedial d) medial geniculate e) ventral posterolateral

Answer 23

ventral lateral

Question 24

Which of the following does not project to the frontal lobe? a) dorsomedial nucleus b) ventral lateral nucleus c) ventral anterior nucleus d) anterior nucleus e) ventral posterolateral nucleus

Answer 24

ventral posterolateral nucleus

Question 25

Which of the following does not project to the cerebral cortex? a) lateral geniculate nucleus b) pulvinar nucleus c) ventral posteromedial nucleus d) thalamic reticular nucleus e) ventral posterolateral nucleus

Answer 25

thalamic reticular nucleus

Question 26

What does the association fibres connect?

Answer 26

connect different parts of the same cerebral hemispheres

Question 27

What does the commissural fibres connect?

Answer 27

commissural fibres connect similar cortical regions of the 2 cerebral hemispheres (connect from L to R)