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- 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.
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- Glossary
Subthalamic nucleus
Although the subthalamic nucleus is a nucleus of the subthalamus in the diencephalon, it is functionally closely integrated into the motor control of the basal ganglia. It plays a role in impulse control, movement control, and inhibition of unwanted movements. Damage to this nucleus can lead to temporary, uncontrolled, jerky movements of the extremities – known as ballism. Doctors have already achieved successful treatment outcomes in both obsessive-compulsive disorder and Parkinson's disease by artificially stimulating this region with a neuroimplant.
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- 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.
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- Glossary
Basal ganglia
The basal ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei (located beneath the cerebral cortex) in the telencephalon. The basal ganglia include the globus pallidus and the striatum, and, depending on the author, other structures such as the substantia nigra and the subthalamic nucleus. The basal ganglia are primarily associated with voluntary motor function, but they also influence motivation, learning, and emotion.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Grundlagen
- Anatomy
The Thalamus dorsalis
The structure is complex, the tasks are varied. It supports the senses, motor skills, and psyche.
28.11.2025
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- Glossary
Pallidum
The globus pallidus, also known as the pallidum, is an important nucleus of the basal ganglia. It is a motor nucleus of the extrapyramidal system involved in the regulation of movement. The pallidum has an inhibitory and an excitatory part. The Latin name pallidus – pale – refers to the color of this nucleus.
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- Glossary
Striatum
The striatum is a central structure of the basal ganglia. It consists of the caudate nucleus and putamen; the nucleus accumbens is also functionally part of it as its ventral portion. As the most important input structure of the basal ganglia, the striatum plays an essential role in controlling movement sequences as well as in cognition, motivational processes, and the reward system.
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- Thinking
- Emotions
Learning the Meaning of Fear
The story of the brain that went forth to learn what fear was.
21.08.2025
