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- Glossary
Executive functions
Brain research uses the term "executive functions" to describe the "higher" mental abilities of living beings. These include, for example, focused attention, planning actions, error correction, decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation.
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- Glossary
Cingulate gyrus
The cingulate gyrus is an important part of the limbic system in the cerebrum. This strip of cortex runs medially in the cerebrum, directly above the corpus callosum. Among other things, it is involved in emotions and memory. Through its connections to limbic and autonomic centers, it can also influence autonomic responses (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure). The anterior (front) region in particular is also associated with attention, motivation, error monitoring, and emotion regulation.
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- Glossary
Medial nuclei
The medial thalamic nuclei, especially the mediodorsal nucleus, are located in the medial thalamus and are closely connected to the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. They are primarily responsible for higher cognitive functions such as planning, attention, and working memory, but are also involved in processing emotions and motivation. In addition, they integrate complex information from different areas of the brain.
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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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- Glossary
Parietal lobe
The parietal lobe is one of the four large lobes of the cerebral cortex. It is located behind the frontal lobe and above the occipital lobe. Somatosensory processes take place in its anterior region, while sensory information is integrated in its posterior region, enabling the handling of objects and spatial orientation. In addition, the parietal lobe is involved in attention, the recognition of body parts and objects, as well as linguistic and mathematical abilities.
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- Glossary
Posterior parietal cortex
The posterior parietal lobe receives inputs from numerous visual, auditory, somatosensory, and proprioceptive cortical areas. It integrates this information into an overall spatial picture that enables orientation, spatial attention, and the planning and execution of goal-directed movements.
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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
Sensory memory
This memory allows sensory input – a sentence or an image – to be repeated without having been consciously perceived. Each sensory modality has its own memory for this purpose, which is deleted after a very short time. The ability to repeat something that was said earlier in a conversation, even though you were not paying attention to it, is an example of auditory sensory memory.
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- Topic
The future of psychiatry
Urgently sought: New insights into causes and possibilities
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- News from the Institutes
How the Brain Predicts the Immediate Future
Three key areas track when something is likely to happen.
21.03.2025
