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Objectives
By the end of the lecture, you should be able to:
 Describe the anatomy and main functions of the
thalamus.
 Name and identify different nuclei of the thalamus.
 Describe the main connections and functions of
thalamic nuclei.
 Name and identify different parts of the limbic system.
 Describe main functions of the limbic system.
 Describe the effects of lesions of the limbic system.
It is the largest Thalamus
nuclear mass of the
whole body.
It is the largest
THALAMUS
part of the
diencephalon
It is formed of
Corpus callosum
two oval masses of
grey matter.
It is the
Midbrain
gateway to the
cortex. PONS
Resemble a small
hen.
Together with the
hypothalamus they
form the lateral wall
of the 3rd ventricle.
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It sends received
information from different Thalamus
brain regions to the
cerebral cortex.
Axons from every sensory
system (except olfaction)
synapse in the thalamus
as the last relay site 'last
pit stop' before the
information reaches the
cerebral cortex.
There are some thalamic
nuclei that receive input
from:
1.Cerebellar nuclei,
2.Basal ganglia- and
3.Limbic-related brain
regions.
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It has 4 surfaces & 2
ends. Relations
Surfaces
Lateral:(L)
Posterior limb of the internal
capsule
Medial: (3)
The 3rd ventricle
In some people it is
connected to the thalamus S
of the opposite side by the
interthalamic connexus,
(adhesion) or Massa L T T
intermedia. 3
Superior: (s) I
Lateral ventricle and fornix.
Inferior: Hypothalamus,
anteriorly & Subthalamus
posteriorly.
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Anterior end:
Forms a projection,
called the anterior
tubercle.
It lies just behind
the
interventricular
foramen.
Posterior end: Broad
Forms a projection
called Pulvinar
which lies above
the superior
colliculus and the
lateral & medial
Geniculate
bodies.
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 White matter:
 External medullary Internal Structure
lamina:
 Covers the lateral
surface.
 It consists of
thalamocortical &
corticothalamic fibers.
 Internal medullary
lamina:
 Bundle of Y- shaped
myelinated (afferent &
efferent) fibers.
 It divides the thalamus
into: anterior , medial,
lateral nuclear groups.
 Each of these group is
subdivided into a number
of named nuclei.
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 Internal Structure
 Embedded
within the
internal
medullary
lamina lie
intralaminar
nuclei.
 The external
medullary
lamina covers
the lateral
surface, in
which lies
thin reticular
nucleus.

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 It is divided into: Lateral Nuclear Group
Dorsal & Ventral
tiers.
 Dorsal tier:
 which contains:
1. Lateral Dorsal (LD).
2. Lateral Posterior (LP).
3. Pulvinar.
 Ventral tier,
 Which contains :
1. Ventral Anterior (VA).
2. Ventral Lateral (VL).
3. Ventral Intermediate (VI).
4. Ventral Posterior (VP).
(VPL, VPM).
5. Medial & Lateral
geniculate nuclei. 9
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 Projection of thalamic nuclei
Anterior Thalamic
Nucleus
 Afferent: Mammillary
body.
 Efferent: Cingulate
gyrus, (limbic system)
 -------------------------------
Medial Nucleus
 Afferent:
Hypothalamus.
 Efferent: Prefrontal
cortex.

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 Projection of thalamic nuclei
Ventral Anterior
Nucleus
 Afferent: Globus
pallidus and
substantial nigra.
 Efferent: Premotor
cortex.
 ------------------------------
-
Ventral Lateral
Nucleus
 Afferent: Dentate
Nucleus.
 Efferent: Primary
Motor Cortex. 12
 Projection of thalamic nuclei
Ventral Posterior
Lateral Nucleus
 Afferent: Medial and
Spinal Leminsci.
 Efferent: Sensory
Cortex.
 ------------------------------
-
Ventral Posterior
Medial Nucleus
 Afferent: Trigeminal
Leminiscus.
 Efferent: Sensory
Cortex.
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 Projection of thalamic nuclei
Lateral Geniculate
Nucleus
 Afferent: Optic tract.
 Efferent: Visual
Cortex.
 -----------------------------
--
Medial Geniculate
Nucleus
 Afferent: Lateral
Leminiscus.
 Efferent: Auditory
Cortex.
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 Mammillary
Body
Hypothalamus
Input & Output of
thalamic nuclei
Globus
pallidus
and
Substantia
Nigra

Lateral
Leminiscus

Medial &
Trigeminal
Spinal Leminiscus
Leminsci
Dentate
Nucleus

Optic
Tract

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 LIMBIC SYSTEM
 The term "limbic"
is from the Latin
word Limbus, for
"border" or
"edge".
 It separates the
medial surface of
the cerebral
cortex from the
diencephalon
 It consists of a
number of cortical
& subcortical
structures with
looped
connections that
all project to the
hypothalamus.
 WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE LIMBIC
SYSTEM?
It control a variety of
Pleasure
functions including:
 Emotions,
sensation
 Emotional responses
 Behaviour & Mood
(happy, cry, laugh,
OLFACTION
sad, afraid, aggression,
depression)
 Motivation.
 Memory.
 Visceral & Motor
responses involved in
(sex, pleasure, MEMORY
hunger, and
reproduction).
 Olfaction.
The limbic system is The limbic system is a set of
composed of four brain structures including
main structures:
1. Limbic cortex
2. Amygdala.
3. Hippocampus, &
4. Septal area.
These structures form
connections between the
limbic system and the
hypothalamus, thalamus
and cerebral cortex.
The hippocampus is
important in memory and
learning, while the limbic
system itself is important
in the control of the
emotional responses.
 CORTICAL STRUCTURES

1. Limbic lobe.
2. Hippocampal
formation.
3. Septal areas.
4. Prefrontal
area.
 C-shaped ring of LIMBIC LOBE
grey matter on
the medial surface
of each cerebral
hemisphere,
surrounding the
corpus callosum.
 It includes:
1. Subcallosal area
2. Cingulate gyrus
3. Isthmus
4. Parahippocampal
gyrus and the
5. Uncus.
 HIPPOCAMPUS
It is a limbic system structure that is
involved in:
Formation,
Organization, and
Storage of memories.
It is important in forming new memories
and connecting emotions and senses,
such as smell and sound, to memories.

It is a horseshoe paired structure, one

in each cerebral hemisphere.
It acts as a memory indexer by sending
memories to the appropriate part of the
cerebral hemisphere for long-term
storage and retrieving them when
necessary.
 Site:
 It is a scrolled HIPPOCAMPUS
structure in the
inferomedial
part of the
temporal lobe.
 Function:
 Memory (file
new memories
as they occur).
 The
hippocampus &
its connections
are necessary
for
consolidation
of new short-
term memories.
 Its principal
efferent pathway HIPPOCAMPUS
is called the:
FORNIX:
It is C-shaped group
of fibers
connecting the
hippocampus with
mammillary body.
it consists of:
2 Fimbria,
2 Crus,
1 Body &
2 Column.
 The Fornix is an
important
component of
PAPEZ CIRCUIT
 Site:
 almond
AMYGDALA
shaped mass
of nuclei that
lies near the
temporal pole,
close to the
tail of the
caudate
nucleus.
 Function:
 It is involved
in
1. FEAR ,
2. Emotions
3. Anger, &
4. Hormonal
secretions.
 CONNECTIONS OF
 Inputs: AMYGDALA
 Association
areas of visual,
auditory &
somatosensory
cortices.
 Outputs:
 Hypothalamus &
 Autonomic nuclei
in the brain stem,
 Lesion:
 Lack of emotional
responses &
docility.
 Septal nuclei

Site:
Located anterior to
the
interventricular
septum
Main connections:
1. To Hypothalamus
2. To Habenular
nuclei
Function:
It is the pleasure
zone.
 Korsakoff’s psychosis Lesions associated
(Retrograde = loss of new with limbic lobe
memories at the time of lesion
with retained old memories & disorders
anterograde amnesia=
inability to gain new memories)
 Temporal lobe epilepsy
 The hippocampus is a
common focus site in epilepsy,
and can be damaged through
chronic seizures.
 It is sometimes damaged in
diseases such as herpes
encephalitis,
 Alzheimer’s disease: The
hippocampus is one of the first
brain areas to show damage in
Alzheimer's disease
 Schizophrenia.
THANK YOU
AND
GOOD LUCK

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