The Diencephalon

Basic Neuroscience
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James H. Baos, Ph.D.

Overview

Parts of the diencephalon

Thalamus
Hypothalamus

The Diencephalon

The Diencephalon

Four major parts:

Epithalamus
Dorsal Thalamus
Subthalamus
Hypothalamus

The Diencephalon

Epithalamus

Pineal gland
A few nearby
structures

PinealGland

The Diencephalon

Pineal Gland

Unpaired midline structure

Just rostral to superior colliculi
Looks like a pine cone (pineal)
Endocrine gland related to seasonal light cycles
Secretes melatonin

Clinical Correlation

What did Descartes think?

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Clinical Correlation

Clinical Correlation

Pineal Tumor

Hydrocephalus. Why?
Eye movement abnormalities. Why?

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The Diencephalon

Dorsal Thalamus

Thalamic hemispheres
80% of diencephalon
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The Diencephalon

Subthalamus

Zona incerta
Subthalamic nucleus

The Diencephalon

Hypothalamus

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The Diencephalon

Hypothalamus

MammilaryBodies

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Infundibulum

Dorsal Thalamus

Functional Roles

Thalamus has four basic functional roles:

Sensory

Motor

Motor system outputs from the basal ganglia and cerebellum are
relayed by the thalamus

Emotion/memory

All sensory information (except olfaction) is relayed to the cortex via

the thalamus

The thalamus is part of the Papez circuit and helps control some
emotional and memory information going to limbic cortex
(cingulate gyrus)

Vegetative

The thalamus has some intrinsic nuclei associated with alertness

and arousal. Can be associated with disorders of consciousness

Thalamus Trivia!!

What is the single largest source of input

to the thalamus?

Functional Roles

Thalamus doesnt just send information to

the cortex. It receives cortical feedback
This signal helps regulate what is coming to
the cortex
Cortical input is a feedback inhibition loop,
letting the thalamus know that information
has been received and inhibiting further
relaying of the information

Anatomic Divisions

Internal medullary lamina

Thin sheet of myelinated fibers

Divides the thalamus into four major
divisions, each containing specific nuclei:

Anterior
Medial
Lateral

Not included in these divisions are

The intralaminar nuclei
The Reticular nucleus

Anterior
Medial
Lateral
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Anatomical Divisions

Anterior Division

Medial Division

Anterior nucleus
Dorsomedial Nucleus (DM)

Lateral Division

Dorsal Tier

Lateral dorsal (LD)

Lateral Posterior (LP)
Pulvinar

Ventral Tier

Ventral Anterior (VA)

Ventral Lateral (VL)
Ventral Posterior (VP)

Ventral posteriolateral (VPL)

Ventral posteriomedial (VPM)

Anatomical Divisions
But waittheres more

Medial Geniculate Nucleus (MGN)

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)
Intralaminar Nuclei

Centromedian (CM)
Parafascicular (PF)

Reticular Nucleus

LD

A
A
VL

VA

DM

VL

CM
PF VPL
VPM

Pulv
Ret

MGN
LGN

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Pulv

DM

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VPL
VL

VA

Ret

Functional Divisions

Another way to think of this

Relay nuclei (i.e., relay to the cortex)

Association nuclei
Other nuclei

Interlaminar
Reticular

Functional Divisions

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Functional Divisions

Relay Nuclei

Relay specific information from a particular

tract or modality
This is not just sensory information

Relay nuclei are part of several important

modulatory loops in the CNS

This is not simple passing on of the signal

Relay nuclei engage in some complex condensing

and processing of the incoming raw information

Functional Divisions

Association nuclei

Support areas of association cortex

Prefrontal cortex
Parietal-occipital-temporal cortex

Association cortex is involved in higher

cognitive function

Other Nuclei

Intralaminar nuclei

Inputs are diverse!

Cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem

reticular formation, spinothalamic tract

Project to

Widespread areas of cortex

Basal ganglia

Produce general changes in cortical function

Other Nuclei

Reticular nucleus

Sheet-like layer of neurons partially covering the

thalamus
Receives input from widespread cortical areas
Only thalamic nucleus with no projections to the
cortex
Inhibitory projections to specific thalamic nuclei
Regulates the activity of the thalamus in the form of
cortical feedback

Clinical Correlation

Thalamic Stroke - Whats the number one

symptom you might predict?

Clinical Correlation

Thalamic Stroke

Loss of consciousness/coma
Attention/arousal problems
Widespread disruption of cortical function
Severe cognitive deficits

Clinical Correlation

Anterior nucleus

Part of the Papez Circuit in the limbic system

Involved in memory
Unilateral Damage: Encoding deficit
Bilateral Damage: Severe encoding deficit

Hypothalamus

Hypothalamus
Caudate
Ventricle
Thalamus
Putamen&
Globuspallidus

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Hypothalamus
Amygdala

Hypothalamus

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PituitaryStalk

Hypothalamus

Hypothalamus Coordinates Drive-Related

Behaviors

What are Drive-related behaviors?

Hypothalamus

Behaviors follow the principal of

homeostasis
Drive refers to drive to correct
homeostatic imbalance
Hunger/satiety
Thirst
Sexual behavior
Temperature regulation
Sleep

Hypothalamus

Hypothalamus is also the integrative link

between the external and internal
environment
ExternalEnvironment

Hypothalamus

InternalEnvironment

Hypothalamus

Interaction with external environment

occurs through integration with the cortex
Interaction with the internal environment
occurs through:
Sampling of blood and CSF
Release of hormones (via the pituitary)

The position of the hypothalamus is not a

coincidence

Anatomic Considerations

Can be divided into three regions

Each region includes medial and lateral zones
Posterior
Anterior

Tuberal
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Anatomic Considerations

Three regions X two zones = six areas containing nuclei

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Anatomic Considerations

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Anatomic Considerations

Inputs

Widespread!

Cortex
Limbic system

Helps integrate autonomic responses with emotional

state

Brain Stem and Spinal cord

Visceral somatic information

Anatomic Considerations

Inputs

Hypothalamus also has intrinsic sensory

neurons

Directly responsive to physical stimuli

Temperature
Blood osmolality
Glucose

Anatomic Considerations

Outputs

Neural

Reciprocate inputs
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Thalamus
Brain Stem
Spinal Cord

Hormonal

Pituitary gland

Anatomic Considerations

Two parts of the pituitary gland

Neurohypophysis

Direct neural control of hormone release into blood via

neurosecretory cells

Adenohypophysis

Not a direct neural link

Vascular connection with hypothalamus

Anatomic Considerations

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Adenohypophysis
Neurohypophysis

Clinical Correlation

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

Center for circadian rhythm regulation

Has a natural 25 hour set cycle
Daylight cues and melatonin from the pineal
gland train it to a 24-hour cycle
Important in sleep/wake cycle

Clinical Correlation

Mammillary Bodies

Part of the limbic Papez Circuit

Crucial for memory function
Mammillary bodies are damaged by chronic
alcohol abuse

Clinical Correlation

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Clinical Correlation

Long-term chronic alcoholics end up with

alcohol induced dementia

Temporally graded severe memory loss

Clinical Correlation

Motivation, reward and addiction

Dr. Lester

Coming Up

Cytology - Dr. Lester

Ill reappear later in the course

I am available for questions/clarifications

banos@uab.edu