Diencephalon

• parte a rombencefalului ce se Location: Between brain

dezvoltă din vezicula stem and cerebrum. The
cerebrală primitivă;
median cavity is the third
• împărţit în 2 jumătăţi de către
V III;
ventricle.
• şanţul hipotalamic se întinde
între foramenul
interventricular şi apeductul
cerebral,
– inferior - hipotalamus
– superior - talamus.
Diencephalon
Diencephalon

• Thalamus  dorsal thalamus

• Hypothalamus
pituitary gland
• Epithalamus
habenular nucleus and commissure
pineal gland
• Subthalamus  ventral thalamus
subthalamic nucleus (STN)
field of Forel
DIENCEFALUL
Epitalamus

Talamus

HIpotalamus

Subtalamus

Metatalamus
 Diencephalon

dorsal surface

ventral surface
Diencephalon
Medial Surface
 TALAMUS
• Masă ovoidală ce participă la formarea pereţilor laterali ai VIII
• Input senzitiv (cu excepţia celui olfactiv) spre ariile primare corticale
• Funcţie de control a informaţiei transmise spre zonele corticale
• Distrugerea unei părţi din talamus – talamotomie
- grupe medulare interconectate reciproc şi conectate cu cortexul; 
Situaţie:
– antero-posterior: pe fiecare parte, de la gaura interventriculară la comisura posterioară;
– transversal: de la capsula internă la V III. 

Formă: masă ovoidală de substanţă cenuşie, 4 cm lungime şi limitează VIII

– anterior - partea posterioară a găurii interventriculare;
– posterior - lărgită, formând pulvinarul.
• Unite pe linie mediană printr-o conexiune intertalamică.

Suprafeţe:
– superioară: şanţ dat de fornix;
– medială: adhesio interthalamica.
• marcate de benzi de substanţă albă – stria medularis thalamica.
1) dorsal thalamus (thalamus)
Subdivision:
a. median nuclei
b. medial nuclei
c. internal medullary lamina Y-shape anterior nuclei locate in the bifurcation of the IML
intralaminar nuclei locate in the IML
d. lateral nuclei
e. external medullary lamina
f. reticular nucleus

a
b c
a b c d e
d
f
Systematic Anatomy Dept of Anatomy, Medical College, 8
Qingdao University
 Cortical • Integrates
Thalamus nuclei electric
activity
somatic &
visceral
• Regulates
Thalamic Wakefulness function
visceral
‘pacemaker’
function • Control
affective
• Associated
behaviour
with emotional
status & recent • Involved in
memory memory
• Interconnects
with frontal
cortices

• Involved in Auditory
motor control relay
nucleus

Visual
• Involved in sensory relay
(ascending pathway) nucleus
 The Diencephalon
Phylogenic subdivision of the dorsal thalamus
(1) nonspecific thalamic nuclei) (archithalamus)
a. nuclei
median nuclei:
intermediate mass
intralaminar nuclei

reticular nucleus
b. connection
 
afferent:
efferent: → cerebral cortex
c. function: maintaining awakening status for vital activity
 The Diencephalon
(2)Specific thalamic nuclei (paleothalamus)
a. nuclei
ventral anterior nucleus
i
ventral lateral nucleus → cerebral cortex (precentral gyrus)
ii
ventral posterior nucleus
i. ventral posterolateral nucleus
← all senses of trunk ←spinothalamic tract, medial lemniscus
ii. ventral posteromedial nucleus
← all senses of head ←trigeminal lemniscus,
→cerebral cortex (postcentral gyrus) 
[spontaneous pain] 

The Diencephalon

(3)Associate nuclei
(neothalamus )
nuclei & connection:
anterior nucleus
← internal nuclei
lateral nuclei
lateral dorsal nucleus
lateral posterior nucleus
pulvinar

function: high neural activity

12
Thalamus
Function : main
relay centers
between cortex and
lower structures

Basal
ganglia Spinal
cord
Cerebellum Brain
3 Classes : stem
Interconnects
cortical
Specific Nonspecific association
Relay for information
Motor Interconnects frontal region with
sensory from sensory systems
association
cortices with limbic system
relay nuclei
(except olfactory cerebellumnuclei
and basal
system) ganglia
nuclei
 Thalamus nuclei
• Local processing – in nucleus
• Modulation – by brain stem inputs (noradregenic & serotonine
monoamines)
• Inhibitory feedback – from reticular nucleus (gatekeeping)
• Excitatory feedback – from cortex

• Has 50 thalamic nuclei (nucleus = a group of nerve cells)

• Reticular nucleus – outer shell, projects to other thalamic nuclei
• Receive specific sensory modality information and project to
specific area in brain
– Axon of cells in ventral posterior lateral nucleus – projects to
primary somatosensory cortex
– Other axons – transmit information from cerebellum & basal
ganglia to motor region of frontal lobe
Classification
Classification of
of Thalamic
Thalamic Nuclei
Nuclei

I. Lateral Nuclear Group

II. Medial Nuclear Group
III. Anterior Nuclear Group
IV. Posterior Nuclear Group
V. Metathalamic Nuclear Group
VI. Intralaminar Nuclear Group
VII. Thalamic Reticular Nucleus
Classification
Classification of
of Thalamic
Thalamic Nuclei
Nuclei
 Types of nuclei

Relay (specific) Anterior nucleus group

nuclei Posterior nucleus group

Medial nucleus group

Lateral nucleus group

Nonspecific • On midline of thalamus

(paraventricular, parataenial &
nuclei
reuniens)
• In internal medullary laminar
(centromedian nucleus) – projects
to limbic structure
ANTERIOR NUCLEAR GROUP
anteroventral nucleus (AV, A.pr.)
anterodorsal nucleus (AD, A.d.)
anteromedial nucleus (AM, A.m.)

POSTERIOR NUCLEAR GROUP

suprageniculate nucleus (SG, Li.)
nucleus limitans (Lim, Li.)
posterior nucleus (PO, Li.por.)
Thalamus nuclei – anterior nuclear group

• Is a part of the limbic system

– Input – afferent projections from mammillary
body of hypothalamus
– Output – cingulate gyrus on medial surface
of cerebral hemisphere
• Function : control of instinctive drives
(emotional aspect of behaviour)
• Function : memory
Thalamus nuclei – medial nuclear group

• Mainly consisting of mediodorsal nucleus

• Connects to particular portions of frontal cortex
– Input – basal ganglia, amygdala, midbrain & other
thalamic nuclei
– Output – Prefrontal cortex
• Main function – control of mood & emotions
• Function - memory
LATERAL
LATERAL NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP

Ventral Nuclear Group

Ventral Posterior Nucleus (VP)
ventral posterolateral nucleus
(VPL, V.c.a.e. & V.c.p.e.)
- pars oralis (VPLo, VLp)
- pars caudalis (VPLc, VPL)
ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM)
- pars principalis (VPM, V.c.a.i. & V.c.a.e.)
- pars parvocellularis (VPMpc, V.c.pc.i., VMb)
ventral posteroinferior nucleus (VPI, V.c.pc.e)
LATERAL
LATERAL NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP

Ventral Lateral Nucleus (VL)

- pars oralis (VLo, V.o.a. VLa)
- pars caudalis (VLc, V.o.p., VLp)
- pars medialis (VLm, V.o.m. & V.o.i., VMp, VM)

Ventral Anterior Nucleus (VA, L.po.)

- pars parvicellularis (VApc)
- pars magnocellularis (VAmc)
LATERAL
LATERAL NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP
Prefrontal SMA MI, PM SI

Ventral
Nuclear Group

SNr TTT
GPi Cbll ML, STT
LATERAL
LATERAL NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP

Dorsal or Lateral Nuclear Group

Lateral Dorsal Nucleus (LD, D.sf.)
Lateral Posterior Nucleus (LP, D.im. & Z.im.)
Pulvinar (P, Pu.)
LATERAL
LATERAL NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP

cingulate gyrus, Somesthetic

precuneus Association Visual
Area Association
area

HF
SC, Pretectal
 Thalamus nuclei – lateral nuclear group

LATERAL Ventral posterior Termination of all ascending

NUCLEAR nucleus pathways that carry
GROUP somatosensory information.
Projects to the primary
somatosensory cortex.
Ventral anterior Principle afferent – output fibers
nucleus of basal ganglia.
Has connections with motor
region of frontal lobe –
influences normal movements
Ventral lateral Afferents from globus pallidus,
nucleus substantia nigra & cerebellum.
Connected to motor areas of
frontal lobe.
Thalamus nuclei – posterior nuclear group

POSTERIOR Lateral Termination of optic tract.

NUCLEAR geniculate Output - fibers to primary visual
GROUP nucleus cortex of occipital lobe

Medial Input – ascending fibers from

geniculate inferior colliculus of midbrain
nucleus Output – primary auditory cortex
of temporal lobe
Pulvinar Most enlarged in primate brain.
Has extensive connections with
parietal, temporal and occipital
lobes
MEDIAL
MEDIAL NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP

Dorsomedial Nucleus (MD, M.)

- pars magnocellularis, MDmc)
- pars parvocellularis, MDpc)
- pars paralaminaris (MDpl;
pars multiformis, MDmf)
- pars densocellularis, MDdc)
Midline Nuclear Group
Paratenial Nucleus (Pt, Pt.)
Reunience Nucleus (Re, Edy.)
Submedial Nucleus (Sm)
Rhomboid Nucleus (Rh)
Thalamus nuclei – Reticular nucleus

• Utilize inhibitory neurotransmitters (GABA),

others use excitatory neurotransmitters
• Axons terminate on the other nuclei of
thalamus, others interconnects with
neocortex
• Function – modulates activity in other
thalamic nuclei based on its monitoring of
the entirety of thalamocortical information
Thalamus nuclei – interlaminar nuclei

– Input - ascending afferent from brain stem

– Output - cerebral cortex & basal ganglia
• Responsible for activation of cerebral cortex
• Simulation causes desynchronization of
EEG and disruption of alpha rhythm
(associated with sleep)
• Lesion – results in the reduction in level of
consciousness n in the perception of pain
METATHALAMIC
METATHALAMIC NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP

Medial Geniculate Nucleus (MG)

ventral or principal or
parvocellular nucleus (MGv)
dorsal nucleus (MGd)
medial nucleus (MGm)

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LG)

dorsal nucleus (LGd)
ventral nucleus (LGv)
INTRALAMINAR
INTRALAMINAR NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR GROUP
GROUP

Rostral Intralaminar Nuclei

central lateral nucleus, CL, i.La.)
central medial nucleus, CeM, Co.)
paracentral nucleus, PC, i.La.)

Caudal Intralaminar Nuclei

(CM-PF nuclear complex)
centre median nucleus, CM, Ce.)
parafascicular nucleus, PF, Pf.)
THALAMIC
THALAMIC RETICULAR
RETICULAR NUCLEUS
NUCLEUS

Cerebral
Cerebral Cortex
Cortex

Thalamic
Thalamic Thalamocortical
Thalamocortical
Reticular
Reticular Neuron
Neuron
Nucleus
Nucleus

Subcortical
Subcortical Structure
Structure
Summary
Summary of
of Thalamic
Thalamic Connectivity
Connectivity

I. Sensory Input
general sensation
special sensation
taste, equilibrium, hearing, vision
II. Motor Input
cerebellum, basal ganglia
III. Reticular Formation
IV. Limbic System
mammillary nucleus
hippocampal formation
Sensory
Sensory Input
Input

(1) General Sensation

1. Medial lemniscus
VPLc ----------- S I, S II
2. Spinothalamic tract
VPLc ----------- S I, S II
POm ----------- retroinsular cortex
Sm ------------- frontal lobe(?)
CL ------------- diffuse cortical areas
3. Trigeminothalamic tract
VPM ------------- S I, S II
Sensory
Sensory Input
Input

(2) Taste sensation

VPM pc ------- gustatory area (Brodmann area 43)
(3) Sense of equilibrium
VPLo ---------- S I
(4) Auditory sensation
MGv ----------- A I (Brodmann area 41, 42)
MGd ----------- A II
(5) Vision
LGd ---------- V I (Brodmann area 17)
Pi, Pl ---------- V I, V II (Brodmann area 17, 18, 19)
Motor
Motor Input
Input

(1) Cerebellum
VLc, VPLo, Nucleus X (cell sparse zone)
---------- M I (Brodmann area 4), Premotor area
CL ----------- diffuse cortical areas
(2) Basal ganglia
1. GPi (internal segment of globus pallidus)
VLo -------- SMA (supplementary motor area)
VApc ------- frontal cortex
CM --------- diffuse cortical areas, striatum,
subthalamic nucleus
2. SNr (pars reticularis of substantia nigra)
VLm, VAmc - fronal cortex
MDpc --------- medial frontal cortex
MDpl ---------- frontal eye field (Brodmann area 8)
Thalamic
Thalamic (Dejerine-Roussy)
(Dejerine-Roussy) Syndrome
Syndrome

Joseph Jules Dejerine Gustave Roussy

(1849-1917) (1874-1948)
Clinical
Clinical Syndromes
Syndromes of
of the
the Thalamus
Thalamus

Posterolateral thalamic syndromes

sensory disorders
Thalamic (Dejerine-Roussy) syndrome
----- VP nucleus - pain
Medial thalamic syndromes
disorders of consciousness
thalamic neglect, thalamic amnesia,
akinetic mutism
Anterolateral thalamic syndromes
motor disorders
paresis, ataxia, motor incoordination, dysphagia
 The Diencephalon
2) metathalamus
a. medial geniculate body ← brachium of
inferior colliculus ← acoustic
b. lateral geniculate body ← optic tract ←
visual
 The Diencephalon
3) epithalamus
a. pineal body
b. habenular trigone
c. habenular commissure
d. thalamic medullary stria
e. posterior commissure
 The Diencephalon
4) subthalamus (ventral
thalamus)
5) hypothalamus
Location: beneath the
hypothalamic sulcus
 a. optic chiasma
 b. optic tract
Epitalamus Trigon
habenular

Glanda
pineală

• implicat în convergenţa
Stria
tractusurilor limbice
medularis
• reglează foamea şi
saţietatea
Roof of 3rd
• output spre mezencefal
Ventricle
 EPITALAMUS
• structură situată posterior de plafonul diencefalic
1. N. Habenulari – situaţi în trigonul habenular
- aferenţe – stria medullaris thalami (faţa dorsomedială a talamusului)
– asociate cu - intern- olfactiv;
- limbic.
- n. amigdaloid
- hipocampus
- hipotalamus
- comisura habenulară
- eferenţe
- fascicol retroreflex - trece în n. interpeduncular
- fascicolul dorsal longitudinal
2. Comisura posterioară (stria medullaris thalami)
- situat în partea inferioară a sacului pineal
- conexiune între
- fascicolul longitudinal medial
- n. Interstiţial
- colicul superior
- n. pretectal.
 Glanda pineală
• ţesut conjunctiv vascularizat conţinând celule gliale şi pinealocite
– inferior - coliculi superiori
– superior - spleniumul corpului calos de care e separată prin vena cerebrală mare.
• Conectate cu restul structurilor diencefalice printr-un pedicul invadat de recesusul pineal
al V III
• Limite
– inferior – comisura posterioară
– superior – comisura habenulară.
• Sincronizarea ritmului circadian
- prin secreţia sa e antigonadotropică;
- conectată funcţional cu sistemul limbic.
• Conectată cu fotoreceptorii neurosenzitivi
• Secretă următorii hormoni:
– Norepinefrina (în neuronii simpatici)
– Melatonina
• Conţine amine biogene şi neuroactive
 
 HIPOTALAMUSUL
• formează partea inferioară a peretelui
lateral şi planşeul V III;
Organizat în trei zone:
• limita posterioară – şanţul hipotalamic  
(între gaura interventriculară şi apeduct); 1. periventriculară- eliberare de
• posterior se extinde de la lamina
hormoni endocrini.
terminalis la corpii mamilari;
• între chiasmă şi corpii mamilari – tuber 2. mijlocie- eliberare de
cinereum; vasopresină şi ocitocină.
• - 2 zone unite, printre care trece o - reglează SN autonom.
coloană a fornixului spre corpii mamilari
Limite
3. laterală- n. care integrează
- lateral: informaţia de la structurile
- partea laterală a subthalamusului; telencefalice şi o transmite
- capsula internă; celorlator părţi ale
- tractul optic. hipotalamusului.
- posterior: •  
- partea tegmentală a
subthalamusului;
- tegmentum mezencefalic.
•
Funcţii
HIPOTALAMUSUL
• integrare
- fluide;
- ingestie alimente
• activităţi
– visceromotorii – reproducere;
– viscerosenzitive – termoreglare;
– endocrin – răspuns imun, sistem autonom;
– metabolism autonom;
– endocrin.
• modulator al SN autonom;
• procesare viscerosenzitivă – modificare de temperatură şi osmolaritate în
sânge;
• reglarea activităţii hipofizei anterioare;
• produce şi eliberează ocitocină şi vasopresină;
• reglarea funcţiilor normale;
• integrarea informaţiilor viscerosenzitive;
• informaţii despre statusul emoţional.
•  
 Hipotalamus

FUNCTIONS
Thyroid Adrenal Gonads

Visceral Autonomic Endocrine Emotions

Parasympathetic Sympathetic
 HIPOTALAMUSUL
Zona medială -  faţă metabolică, centrul saţietăţii
1. regiune anterioară: - n. suprachiasmatic
• - n. preoptic
• - n. anterior
• tractul supraoptic hipofizar
• - n. paraventriculari
- n. supraoptic
2. regiunea tuberală (laterală):
• tract tubero hipofizar
- n. dorsomedial
- n. ventromedial
- n. infundibular
Zona laterală: Conţine mai multe fibre, dar mai puţini neuroni decât zona medială;
traversată de fascicolul cerebral.
Prezintă
– n. lateral – centrul foamei şi al saţietăţii;
– n. tuberal lateral;
– n. supraoptic
 Hypothalamus
 Nuclei
a. supraoptic nucleus
of the hypothalamus
→ supraoptico-Hypophyseal tract → vasopressin
b. paraventricular nucleus → paraventri-culohypophyseal
tract → oxytocin
c. tuberal nucleus → tuberoinfundibular (-hypophyseal)
b
tract a
d. infundibular nucleus
e. mammillary nucleus
f. suprachiasmatic c
nucleus

Sympathetic n. (in the posterior and lateral

part): cardiac acceleration, BP↑ ,
cessation of the gastrointestinal tract,
dilatation of the pupil , hyperglycemia.
Parasympathetic n. (in the ant. part): heart
rate↓, BP↓, salivation, increase of the
gastrointestinal tract, contraction of the
urinary bladder.
Hipotalamus

Lateral eminence : Feeding Medial eminence : Satiety

Center Center

Anterior part : Body

Posterior part : Arousal
temperature (with posterior
Center
part)
 Difference in hypothalamus
Preoptic area Suprachiasmatic
(involved in mating) nucleus (involved in
circadian rhythms &
reproduction cycle)
Male Bigger Smaller

Female Smaller Bigger

 SUBTALAMUSUL
• zonă de tranziţie între mezencefal şi diencefal;
• Raporturi
– antero-superior - talamus.
– antero-medial - hipotalamus.
– ventro-lateral - capsula internă şi globus pallidus.
• traversat de tracturi ascendete
– lemniscus medial;
– fascicolul talamic;
– tract dentato-rubro-talamic.
- lentilă biconvexă pe secţiune, input de la ariile motorii corticale;
- adiacent la faţa medială a capsulei interne, care îl separă de globus pallidus, cu care e conect
at prin fascicolul subtalamic (ce trece transversal prin capsula internă).
• Situaţie
– dorsal şi rostral de subst nigra;
– ventral de fascicolul lenticular.
Zona incerta
- extremitatea rostrală a formaţiunii reticulate;
- între talamus şi nucleul subtalamic;
- dorsal de n. subtalamic.
 SUBTALAMUSUL
Clinic
• componentă extrapiramidală importantă;
• efect inhibitor pe globus pallidus.
Leziunea unilaterală (rară) – hemibalism (cu precădere în articulaţia umărului)

Aria prerubrică (câmpul H – al lui Forel)

• - rostral de n. roşu;
• - medial de n. subtalamic
Primeşte
- fascicolul lenticular (câmp H1)
- fascicolul talamic (câmp H2).
Conţine:
- n. subtalamic;
- aria prerubrică ;
-zona incerta (dorsal).
•  
 GLANDA PITUITARĂ
• lob posterior - derivă din neuroectoderm; Nuclei:
• lobul anterior şi 1. n. arcuat - GH, αH, STH, ACTH;
• lobul intermediar, derivă din ectoderm din 2. n. paraventricular- h. corticotropi;
punga lui Rathke. 3. n. periventriculari- GH, αH, DOPA;
Lobul anterior - parte din sistemul 4. aria preoptică - n. parvocelulari
neurosecretor parvocelular (neuroni mici),
neuroni situaţi în zona periventriculară.
Lobul posterior- parte din istmul neurosecretor;
• - magnocelular - n. mari;
Funcţii
– control autonom
- n. situaţi în zona mijlocie.
– control endocrin
•  circulaţia portală pituitară – în planşeul V III;
– aport de H2O şi alimente
• reţea de capilare în eminenţa mediană si în
lobul anterior. – expresia emoţională
– comportament sexual
– ceas biologic
Reticular
Reticular Formation
Formation &
& Limbic
Limbic System
System

Reticular formation
rostral intralaminar nuclei (CL, Cem, PC), Rh
----- diffuse cortical areas
thalamic reticular nucleus (R), LGv
----- adjacent thalamic nucleus
Limbic System
Mammillary Body
AV, AD, AM ----- cingulate gyrus
Hippocampal Formation
AV, AD, AM ----- cingulate gyrus
LD ------------------ cingulate gyrus, precuneus
Re ------------------- medial cortex, entorhinal cortex
Hypothalamus  Limbic
Hypothalamus  Limbic System
System
Epithalamus  Limbic
Epithalamus  Limbic System
System

Habenular Nucleus
Medial Habenular Nucleus

Lateral Habenular Nucleus

Habenular Commissure

Pineal Gland
Subthalamus  Basal
Subthalamus  Basal Ganglia
Ganglia

Subthalamic nucleus
zona incerta
Field of Forel
H ansa lenticularis
H1 thalamic fasciculus
H2 lenticular fasciculus