Search
-
- Glossary
Nucleus
Nucleus, plural nuclei, has two meanings: in cell biology, it refers to the cell nucleus, which contains chromosomes, among other things. In neuroanatomy, it refers to a collection of cell bodies in the nervous system – in the central nervous system as gray matter, in the peripheral nervous system as ganglia.
-
- Glossary
Nucleus accumbens
The nucleus accumbens is a nucleus in the basal ganglia that receives dopaminergic (dopamine-responsive) inputs from the ventral tegmental area. It is associated with reward and attention, but also with addiction. In pain processing, it is involved in motivational aspects of pain (reward, pain reduction) and in the effect of placebos.
-
- Glossary
Basal nucleus
A collection of nerve cells in the basal region of the telencephalon. The basal ganglia are considered to be an important producer of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. In Alzheimer's patients and, in some cases, Parkinson's patients, the basal ganglia degenerate. As a result, they produce less and less acetylcholine, which neurologists associate with some of the symptoms of these diseases.
-
- Glossary
Basal nucleus, lateral part
The pars lateralis refers to the lateral part of the basal nucleus, i.e., the part located on the side.
-
- Glossary
Basal nucleus, medial part
Medial part = medial part of Meynert's basal nucleus.
-
- Glossary
Caudate nucleus
Part of the basal ganglia, it forms the striatum together with the putamen. Anatomically, the caudate nucleus is located frontally in the center of the brain and extends backward, forming a C shape. It consists of a head (caput nuclei caudati), a body (corpus nuclei caudati), and a tail (cauda nuclei caudati). In contrast to the more motor-related parts of the basal ganglia, this area is strongly connected to the prefrontal cortex in addition to its motor functions. As a result, this part of the striatum is also heavily involved in cognition, motivation, and emotion.
-
- Glossary
Central nucleus
The nucleus centralis belongs to the centromedial nucleus group of the amygdala. It has connections to the hypothalamus and nuclei of the brain stem and is involved in autonomous emotional responses such as fear reactions.
-
- Glossary
Cortical nucleus
The cortical nucleus is one of the cortical nuclei of the amygdala. It primarily receives olfactory information and projects to the hypothalamus, entorhinal cortex, and insula, among other areas.
-
- Glossary
Infundibular nucleus
The infundibular nucleus is also called the arcuate nucleus due to its curved shape. It is located in the hypothalamus at the base of the third ventricle and regulates hormone release from the pituitary gland via releasing and inhibiting hormones. It is therefore also involved in regulating appetite, energy balance, and growth.
-
- Glossary
Lateral nucleus
The lateral nucleus belongs to the basolateral nucleus group of the amygdala. The basolateral amygdala is the largest part of the amygdala. It receives sensory information from the temporal lobe and neuromodulatory signals from the VTA, locus coeruleus, and basal forebrain, processes them, and sends them to the central nucleus. It is important for emotional learning and fear conditioning.
