Ii-19: Intro To The Thalamus

Front 1

What structure does the thalamus belong to?

Back 1

Diencephalon

Front 2

From where does the thalamus receive inputs? (5)

Back 2

All major sensory nuclei, cerebellum, basal ganglia, limbic system, some brainstem nuclei

Front 3

To where does the thalamus send its efferent projections?

Back 3

Sends efferent projections to the cerebral cortex

Cerebral cortex sends reciprocal projections back

Front 4

What are the vessels that supply the thalamus? (3)

Back 4

1. Posterior cerebral a.
2. Posterior communicating a.
3. anterior choroidal a.

Front 5

What are the other components of the diencephalon? (3) What do they do?

Back 5

1. Hypothalamus - autonomic, endocrine, limbic activities
2. Subthalamus - has subthalamic nucleus of basal ganglia
3. Epithalamus - contains pineal gland, which secretes melatonin

Front 6

What are the medial, lateral, and superior borders of the thalamus?

Back 6

medial = third ventricle
lateral = internal capsule
superior = lateral ventricle and fornix

Front 7

What is the interthalamic adhesion or 'massa intermedia"?

Back 7

small band of gray matter extending across the third ventricle that connects right and left sides of the thalamus

Front 8

What is the internal medullary lamina?

Back 8

White matter tract that divides that thalamus into anterior, medial, and posterior-lateral divisions

Front 9

What are intralaminar nuclei?

What is the centromedian nucleus?

Back 9

Nuclei that lie within the fibers of the internal medullary lamina

Largest intralaminar nucleus

Front 10

What are the other components of the diencephalon? (3) What do they do?

Back 10

1. Hypothalamus - autonomic, endocrine, limbic activities
2. Subthalamus - has subthalamic nucleus of basal ganglia
3. Epithalamus - contains pineal gland, which secretes melatonin

Front 11

What are the medial, lateral, and superior borders of the thalamus?

Back 11

medial = third ventricle
lateral = internal capsule
superior = lateral ventricle and fornix

Front 12

What is the interthalamic adhesion or 'massa intermedia"?

Back 12

small band of gray matter extending across the third ventricle that connects right and left sides of the thalamus

Front 13

What is the internal medullary lamina?

Back 13

White matter tract that divides that thalamus into anterior, medial, and posterior-lateral divisions

Front 14

What are intralaminar nuclei?

What is the centromedian nucleus?

Back 14

Nuclei that lie within the fibers of the internal medullary lamina

Largest intralaminar nucleus

Front 15

What is the major nucleus of the anterior division of the thalamus?

Back 15

anterior thalamic nucleus

Front 16

What is the major nucleus of the medial division of the thalamus?

Back 16

Dorsal medial thalamic nucleus

Front 17

What is the major nucleus of the postero-lateral division of the thalamus, dorsal subdivision?

Back 17

Pulvinar nucleus

Front 18

What is the major nucleus of the posterior lateral division of the thalamus, ventral subdivision? (5)

Back 18

1. Ventral anterior nucleus
2. Ventral lateral
3. Ventral posterior (medial and lateral subdivisions)
4. Medial geniculate body
5. Lateral geniculate body

Front 19

What is the major nucleus of the intralaminar division of the thalamus?

Back 19

Centromedian nucleus

Front 20

anterior thalamic nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. functions

Back 20

a. Mammillary bodies, hippocampus
b. Cingulate gyrus
c. memory, emotion (limbic)

Front 21

Dorsal medial thalamic nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 21

a. Olfactory (via pyriform cortex), limbic structures, hippocampus
b. prefrontal cortex
c. Limbic

Front 22

Pulvinar nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projection
c. function

Back 22

a. Parietal, occipital, temporal 'association' cortex; superior colliculus (visual)

b. Parietal, occipital, and temporal 'association' cortex, projections to extrastriate visual cortex
c. Sensory integration (esp visual)

Front 23

Ventral anterior nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 23

a. Cerebellum, basal ganglia
b. Premotor cortex
c. motor

Front 24

Ventral lateral cortex
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 24

a. Cerebellum, basal ganglia
b. Motor and premotor cortex
c. Motor

Front 25

VPL nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 25

a. Medial lemniscus, spinothalamic tract, some vestibular

b. Somatosensory cortex (body)

c. Somatosensory processing of body (excluding face)

Front 26

VPM nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 26

a. Trigeminothalamic tract, some vestibular

b. Somatosensory cortex (face)

c. Somatocensory process from face

Front 27

Lateral geniculate nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 27

a. Optic tract
b. Primary visual (striate) cortex - calacrine cortex
c. Vision

Front 28

Medial geniculate nucleus
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 28

a. Inferior colliculus
b. Primary auditory cortex - superior temporal cortex
c. Hearing

Front 29

Centromedian and other intralaminar nuclei
a. subcortical input
b. cortical projections
c. function

Back 29

a. Basal ganglia, vestibular nuclei, reticular formation, spinal cord, superior colliculus, cerebellum

b. Cerebral cortex (particularly the association cortex), basal ganglia
c. Attention, arousal, consciousness

Front 30

What is thalamic syndrome?

Back 30

Injury to ventral-posterior region of the thalamus --> impaired proprioception, touch, pain, temp. sensations on contralateral side of the body

Front 31

What is Korsakoff syndrome?

Back 31

lesion in dorsal medial thalamic nucleus --> problems with memory

Front 32

What is fatal insomnia syndrome?

Back 32

caused by prions --> bilateral degeneration of thalamic nuclei