| medial nucleus of thalamus | A large, composite cell group in the dorsomedial region of the thalamus having reciprocal connections with the entire extent of the frontal cortex anterior to the motor cortex (area 4) and premotor cortex (area 6). The afferent connections of the medial nucleus also include projections from the olfactory cortex and amygdala. Synonym: nucleus medialis thalami, dorsomedial nucleus, mediodorsal nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| central lateral nucleus of thalamus | The most lateral of the intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus. Synonym: nucleus centralis lateralis thalami. (05 Mar 2000) |
| medullary laminae of thalamus | Layers of myelinated fibres that appear on transverse sections of the thalamus; the lamina medullaris externa marks the ventral and lateral borders of the thalamus and delimits it from the subthalamus and reticular nucleus of thalamus; the lamina medullaris interna is interposed between the mediodorsal and ventral nuclei of the thalamus and encloses the intralaminar nuclei (centromedian, paracentral, and central lateral nuclei). Synonym: laminae medullares thalami, medullary layers of thalamus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| medullary layers of thalamus | Layers of myelinated fibres that appear on transverse sections of the thalamus; the lamina medullaris externa marks the ventral and lateral borders of the thalamus and delimits it from the subthalamus and reticular nucleus of thalamus; the lamina medullaris interna is interposed between the mediodorsal and ventral nuclei of the thalamus and encloses the intralaminar nuclei (centromedian, paracentral, and central lateral nuclei). Synonym: laminae medullares thalami, medullary layers of thalamus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| medullary stria of thalamus | A narrow, compact fibre bundle that extends along the line of attachment of the roof of the third ventricle to the thalamus on each side and terminates posteriorly in the habenular nucleus. It is composed of fibres originating in the septal area, the anterior perforated substance, the lateral preoptic nucleus, and the medial segment of the globus pallidus. Synonym: stria medullaris thalami, stria fornicis, stria ventriculi tertii. (05 Mar 2000) |
| reticular nucleus of thalamus | A sheet of fairly large neurons covering the lateral, ventral, and rostral surfaces of the thalamus; its reticular appearance is caused by the numerous fascicles of the thalamic peduncles which traverse the nucleus The nucleus receives numerous fibres from the cerebral cortex but it has no cortical projection. Synonym: nucleus reticularis thalami. (05 Mar 2000) |
| posterior medial nucleus of thalamus | Medial part of the ventrobasal nuclear complex. See: ventral posterior nucleus of thalamus. Synonym: nucleus ventralis posteromedialis thalami. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thalamus | <anatomy> Either of two large, ovoid masses, consisting chiefly of grey substance, situated one on each side of and forming part of the lateral wall of the third ventricle. It is divided into two major parts: dorsal and ventral, each of which contains many nuclei. Origin: L., Gr. Thalamos = inner chamber (18 Nov 1997) |
| lateral nucleus of thalamus | The largest of the major subdivisions of the thalamus; the composite lateral nucleus includes, from before backward, the nucleus lateralis anterior or dorsalis, nucleus lateralis intermedius, nucleus lateralis posterior, and pulvinar; together, these cell groups form most of the free dorsal surface of the posterior half of the thalamus and project to a very large region of parietal, occipitoparietal, and temporal cortex; its afferent connections are largely obscure, but the nucleus lateralis posterior and the pulvinar receive a projection from the superior colliculus. Synonym: nucleus lateralis thalami. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accessory olivary nuclei | See: dorsal accessory olivary nucleus, medial accessory olivary nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arcuate nuclei | A variable assembly of small cell groups, probably outlying components of the pontine nuclei, on the ventral and medial aspects of the pyramid in the medulla oblongata. Synonym: nuclei arcuati. (05 Mar 2000) |
| autonomic nuclei | Nuclei located in the spinal cord (T1-L2, S2-S4) and in the brainstem (Edinger-Westphal nucleus, superior and inferior salivatory nuclei, dorsal vagal nucleus and parts of the ambiguus nucleus) from which general visceral efferent preganglionic fibres arise; may be sympathetic (T1-L2) or parasympathetic (craniosacral); hypothalamic nuclei/areas function in concert with autonomic nuclei. (05 Mar 2000) |
| basal nuclei | Nucleus of the cerebral hemisphere that originally included the caudate and lenticular nuclei, the claustrum and the amygdaloid body (complex); functionally the term basal nuclei now specifies the caudate and lenticular nuclei and adjacent cell groups having important connections therewith (subthalamic nucleus; substantia nigra, partes compacta and reticulata); amygdaloid complex now known to be part of the limbic system. Synonym: nuclei basales. (05 Mar 2000) |
| branchiomotor nuclei | Collective term for those motoneuronal nuclei of the brainstem (n. Ambiguus, facial motor nucleus, motor nucleus of the trigeminus) that develop from the branchiomotor column of the embryo and innervate striated muscle fibres (muscles of mastication, facial musculature, pharynx and vocal cord muscles) developed from the mesenchyme of the branchial arches. Synonym: special visceral efferent nuclei, special visceral motor nuclei. (05 Mar 2000) |
| caput nuclei caudati | The head or anterior extremity of the caudate nucleus projecting into the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle. Synonym: caput nuclei caudati, anterior extremity of caudate nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |