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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
Subthalamus
The subthalamus is an area of the diencephalon located ventrally below the thalamus. It includes the subthalamic nucleus, which functionally belongs to the basal ganglia network. The subthalamus plays an important role in the regulation and inhibition of movement sequences and in impulse control.
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- Glossary
Dorsal thalamus
The thalamus is the largest structure in the diencephalon and is located above the hypothalamus. The thalamus is considered the "gateway to consciousness" because its nuclei are the transit station for all information to the cortex (cerebral cortex) – except for olfactory information, which first reaches the olfactory areas of the brain directly. At the same time, they also receive massive cortical inputs so it might be better to regard this a thalami-cortical system. The nuclei of the thalamus are grouped together. The term "gateway to consciousness" also refers to attention control, sleep-wake regulation, and consciousness modulation by the intralaminar nuclei.
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- Glossary
Zona incerta
Zona incerta – the name was coined by Auguste Forel and means that nothing certain can be said about this core of the diencephalon. That was in 1877, and since then it has been discovered that the zona incerta is very well connected throughout the brain. But its function remains unknown.
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Glossary
15.03.2017
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- Basics
- Anatomy
The Sheep Brain: Basal Ganglia
The basal ganglia control motor function and happiness – but in sheep, only unhappiness has been proven.
29.06.2013
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- Basics
- Anatomy
The Subthalamus
A pale nucleus and an excitatory lens, and the zone of uncertainty – that is the subthalamus.
01.10.2025
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- Basics
- Anatomy
The Amygdala
Without the amygdala, humans lose their sense of fear. With the amygdala, they also recognize the fear of others.
22.12.2023
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- Think
- Consciousness
Playing Tennis in a vegetative State
Adrian Owen and colleagues use brain scans to search for the hidden minds of coma patients.
12.06.2025
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- Basics
- Anatomy
The Fornix
A vault with a supporting function: the fornix is a powerful fiber tract in the limbic system.
14.04.2025
