What does the anterior nucleus of the thalamus do?

What does the anterior nucleus of the thalamus do?

The anterior nuclei of the thalamus display functions pertaining to memory. Persons displaying lesions in the anterior thalamus, preventing input from the pathway involving the hippocampus, mammillary bodies and the MTT, display forms of amnesia, supporting the anterior thalamus’s involvement in episodic memory.

What is the most lateral nucleus of the thalamus?

The lateral geniculate nucleus is located within the lateral geniculate body, an ovoid projection of the posterior aspect of the thalamus. The lateral geniculate nucleus represents the thalamic relay station of the visual pathway. The nucleus consists of six to eight laminae, which are separated by interlaminar zones.

What is thalamus Opticus?

One of a pair of ovoid masses of grey substance that serves as a relay station for sensory stimuli to the cerebral cortex. It contains the lateral geniculate body, which is a continuation of the pulvinar and which is situated at the posterior end of the thalamus.

What is the main function of the thalamus in the brain?

The thalamus is a mostly gray matter structure of the diencephalon that has many essential roles in human physiology. The thalamus is composed of different nuclei that each serve a unique role, ranging from relaying sensory and motor signals, as well as regulation of consciousness and alertness.

What does the right thalamus control?

While the thalamus is classically known for its roles as a sensory relay in visual, auditory, somatosensory, and gustatory systems, it also has significant roles in motor activity, emotion, memory, arousal, and other sensorimotor association functions.

What happens if the thalamus is damaged?

The thalamus receives sensory information from all of the sensory systems (except smell) and passes it on to the relevant primary cortical area. Additionally, it helps regulate levels of alertness and consciousness. Damage to the thalamus can result in a permanent coma (Lumen 2017).

What is the main function of the thalamus?

Where do the anterior nuclei of the thalamus project to?

The anterior nuclei receive afferents from the mammillary bodies via the mammillothalamic tract and from the subiculum via the fornix. In turn, they project to the cingulate gyrus. The anterior nuclei of the thalamus display functions pertaining to memory.

Where does the thalamus receive input from the hypothalamus?

However, although the hypothalamus projects to both the mammillary bodies and the anterior nuclei of the thalamus, the anterior nuclei receive input from hippocampal cells deep to the pyramidal cells projecting to the mammillary bodies.

Where do the anterior nuclei receive afferents from?

They comprise the anteromedial, anterodorsal, and anteroventral nuclei. The anterior nuclei receive afferents from the mammillary bodies via the mammillothalamic tract and from the subiculum via the fornix. In turn, they project to the cingulate gyrus .

How is the ATN related to the postsubiculum?

The ATN displays bidirectional connections with the postsubiculum, a structure in humans involved in regulating signaling relative to the movement of the head in the horizontal plane. This structure contains “head direction cells” hypothesized to also be present in the ATN.