SLP528 Neurology

The thalamus is the major relay station for information within the brain. It is located in the center of the brain, and is the shape of an egg. All sensory stimuli will pass through the thalamus (with the exception of olfaction) before reaching the final destination in the cortex; one may think of this structure as the "GRAND CENTRAL STATION" of the brain. The thalamus is made up of multiple nuclei (gray matter)

 

The anterior region of the thalamus is responsible for motor and somatosensory connections, having to do with functions such as speech

 

The posterior portion of the thalamus has to do with connections to the auditory and visual cortices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hypothalamus sits slightly anterior and inferior to the thalamus. Hypothalamus controls regulatory functions including the endocrine system, feelings of hunger, fatigue, body temperature, etc.

 

 

 

 

The basal ganglia wrap laterally around the thalamus. It is made up of the corpus striatum (caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen), the substantia nigra, and the subthalamic nuclei. The basal ganglia controls functions such as fine motor movements, motor control, and fine motor coordination, and is part of the extrapyramidal tract