Basic Neuroscience · Neuroanatomy
Thalamus & Hypothalamus
The hypothalamic nuclei (function, lesion, mnemonic) and the thalamic relay nuclei with their afferents and efferents.
Hypothalamus
| Nucleus | Function | Lesion | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anterior | Controls parasympathetic — ↓temperature | Hyperthermia | Anterior Cooling |
| Posterior | Controls sympathetic — ↑temperature | Poikilothermia (↑temp) & ipsilateral Horner | Posterior Poikilothermia |
| Medial | Satiety center | Obesity | — |
| Lateral | Hunger center, thirst center | Aphagia | Gas tank is lateral |
| Mammillary | Memory | Amnesia (Wernicke's) | — |
| Suprachiasmatic | Controls circadian rhythm | — | — |
| Preoptic | Secretes GnRH | — | — |
| Supraoptic | Synthesizes ADH (vasopressin) | Diabetes insipidus | — |
| Paraventricular | Synthesizes oxytocin, TRH, CRH | — | — |
| Arcuate | GHRH — PIF (dopamine) | — | — |
Thalamus
| Nucleus | Function | Afferent | Efferent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-specific | |||
| Anterior | Attention & memory | Mammillary body | Cingulate gyrus |
| Medial dorsal | Emotions & executive functions | Hypothalamus | Prefrontal cortex |
| Centromedian (intralaminar) | Emotional content of pain | Slow pain pathway | Cortex |
| Pulvinar | Visual attention | Superior colliculus | Visual cortex |
| Reticular | Sensory inhibition; generates sleep spindles (temporarily inhibits sensory output so distracting sensations don't reach awareness while attention is focused elsewhere) | Thalamic nuclei | Thalamic nuclei |
| Intralaminar | Arousal | Reticular formation | All cortex |
| Motor | |||
| VL, VI (intermediate) | Coordination of movements | Cerebellum & BG | Motor cortex |
| VA | Initiation & planning of movement | BG | Premotor cortex |
| Sensory | |||
| VPL | Somatic sensation (body) | STT & ML | Sensory cortex |
| VPM | Somatic sensation (face) | Trigeminal nucleus | Sensory cortex |
| MGN | Hearing | Brachium of inferior colliculus | Auditory cortex |
| LGN | Vision | Optic tract | Visual cortex |
LIGHTS on RITE by Ahmed Koriesh