Thalamus: What is it? Anatomy, Functions and Pathologies

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Located in the center of the brain, under the corpus callosum and above the brainstem, the thalamus is an ovoid-shaped, even structure, which includes several nerve nuclei divided into 4 distinct parts (anterior, medial, lateral and posterior) and in two characteristic protuberances (the geniculate bodies).
Thanks to connections with different areas of the cerebral cortex, with the brainstem and with the limbic system, the thalamus participates in the functioning of all sensory systems - excluding the olfactory system - and plays a key role in voluntary movements, in regulating the sleep cycle. - awakening and the state of consciousness, in the control of excitement and emotion, and, finally, in some aspects of memory capacity.

(or telencephalon), brainstem and cerebellum, constitutes the "brain; the latter is the large nervous structure located inside the skull, which, combined with the spinal cord, forms the central nervous system.

The diencephalon resides in the center of the brain, between the brain and the brainstem, and includes extremely important nerve components, such as the aforementioned thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, subthalamus, epiphysis, neurohypophysis and third ventricle.

and only minimally by white matter; the fact that it is an even structure means that it is present in two copies, to the right and to the left of the hypothetical plane that separates the human body into two equal halves (sagittal plane).

Together with the copy present on the other half of the human body by the so-called interthalamic commissure, the thalamus is an ovoid formation, in which numerous nerve nuclei are concentrated; these nerve nuclei represent the gray substance of the thalamus mentioned above.

On the thalamus, anatomists identify an anterior pole, projected in the ventral direction, and a posterior pole, oriented in the dorsal direction.
Furthermore, the thalamus can be divided into 4 parts: anterior part, medial part, lateral part and back part.

Two protuberances near the back also belong to the thalamus, called the medial and lateral geniculate bodies.

Through its nerve nuclei, the thalamus establishes numerous connections with the cerebral cortex and the brainstem; these connections are both of an afferent nature (ie they conduct a nerve signal to the thalamus) and of an efferent nature (ie they route a nerve signal outside the thalamus).