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1. Glossary

Climbing fiber

Climbing fibers are the axons (long fiber-like extensions of nerve cells) of neurons in the inferior olive nucleus of the brain stem. They extend into the cerebellum and "climb" along the Purkinje cells, with which they form synaptic connections.

1. Glossary

Mesolimbic pathway

A system of neurons that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter and play a crucial role in emotion, reward, and substance abuse. The cell bodies are located in the subtegmental area and extend to the amygdala, the hippocampus, and – most importantly – the nucleus accumbens, where they have their terminal buttons.

1. 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. 

1. Glossary

Ventrolateral nuclei

The lower lateral nucleus group of the thalamus is responsible for motor function (movement). It receives inputs from the cerebellum and basal ganglia and has outputs to motor and premotor areas of the cerebral cortex.

1. Glossary

Pallidum

The "pale nucleus" (pallidum = pale) is classified as part of the basal ganglia due to its functional integration and, in terms of evolutionary development, belongs to the telencephalon. It has an inner (medial) and an outer (lateral) segment, which mainly transmit inhibitory impulses to modulate the activity of other parts of the basal ganglia and thalamus.

1. Glossary

Parvocellular

"Parvus" means "small." In the lateral geniculate nucleus, the switching station for visual stimuli in the thalamus, the outer four layers are called parvocellular because, unlike the magnocellular cell layers, they have small cell bodies. The parvocellular system transmits information for the perception of color and fine details.

1. Glossary

Primary auditory cortex

The first processing station in the cerebral cortex for auditory information. The primary auditory cortex is located in the Heschl's gyrus and receives inputs from the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. It is organized tonotopically – its neurons are arranged continuously according to frequency.

1. Glossary

Pulvinar

The pulvinar is a fairly large nucleus in the posterior thalamus that is connected to many visual centers. It appears to increase the excitability of cells in the visual cortex as soon as a stimulus is noticed. Some studies suggest that the pulvinar may also indirectly support language processing via cortical connections.

1. Glossary

Visual pathway

The visual pathway refers to the network of nerve cells involved in visual perception. In mammals, it runs from the retinal ganglion cells in the eye – as the optic nerve to the optic chiasm, then as the visual tract – via the only switching point in the lateral geniculate nucleus to the primary visual cortex.

1. Glossary

Visual radiation

The optic radiation – also known as Gratiolet's optic radiation after its discoverer – distributes visual impulses from the lateral geniculate nucleus to the comparatively very large primary visual cortex.