Thalamus

:For the computer game developer, see Thalamus Ltd.

Anatomy

The thalami are prominent bulb-shaped regions, typically slightly more than 1 cm in length in humans, located in the center of the brain. They form on each side of the paleopalliar diencephalon that emerges from the mammalian prosencephalon. The thalamus is largely made of nuclear groups that relate to specific functions in the cerebrum. Thalamic nuclei have subcortical projections, and can be classified as either relay nuclei or association nuclei (see below). Thalamic nuclei also have strong reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex, forming cortico-thalamo-cortical recurrent loops that are believed may be involved with consciousness.

Related Topics:
Paleopalliar - Diencephalon - Mammalian - Prosencephalon - Subcortical projections - Relay nuclei - Association nuclei - Cerebral cortex - Consciousness

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Nuclear groups of the thalamus include:

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• anterior nuclear group
• anteroventral nucleus
• anterodorsal nucleus
• anteromedial nucleus
• medial nuclear group
• dorsomedial nucleus
• parvocellular part
• magnocellular part
• midline nuclear group
• paratenial nucleus
• parventricular nucleus
• reuniens nucleus
• rhombodoidal nucleus
• intralaminar nuclear group
• centromedian nucleus
• parafascicular nucleus
• paracentral nucleus
• central lateral nucleus
• central medial nucleus
• lateral nuclear group
• lateral dorsal nucleus
• lateral posterior nucleus
• pulvinar
• ventral nuclear group
• ventral anterior nucleus
• ventral lateral nucleus
• ventral posterior nucleus
• ventral posterolateral - receives sensory information from the body
• ventral posteromedial - receives sensory information from the face
• metathalamus
• medial geniculate body - receives auditory information (via brachium from inferior colliculus of midbrain)
• lateral geniculate body - receives visual information from the optic tract
• thalamic reticular nucleus