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1. Glossary

Basal nucleus, medial part

Medial part = medial part of Meynert's basal nucleus.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. Glossary

Paraventricular nucleus

A nucleus of the hypothalamus whose neurons produce various hormones, including oxytocin and vasopressin, which are transported to the neurohypophysis. The PVN sends axons to the limbic system, the brain stem, and other hypothalamic nuclei.

1. Glossary

Red nucleus

The "red nucleus" owes its name to its high iron content. It can be seen with the naked eye as a large, round, reddish-colored nucleus in the midbrain. It belongs to the extrapyramidal motor system, and its central tasks are posture and muscle tone.

1. Glossary

Subthalamic nucleus

Although the subthalamic nucleus is a nucleus of the subthalamus in the diencephalon, it is functionally closely involved in the motor control of the basal ganglia. Damage to this nucleus can lead to temporary, uncontrolled, jerky movements of the extremities – known as ballism.

1. Glossary

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

A nucleus of the hypothalamus that plays a central role in circadian rhythms, including the sleep-wake cycle. It is the master clock, the body's most important internal clock, controlling melatonin production in the epiphysis. It receives direct input from the retinal ganglion cells.