The anatomy of the human being is made up of a wide variety of muscles, bones, organs, neurons, among others. There are certain parts of the body that acquire greater relevance depending on the functions they perform within the body. There are popular sayings that talk about the brain being the most important organ and that its proper functioning has extremely positive effects for the person. However, a question arises here: what do we mean when we talk about the brain? Does any part of the brain have the same relevance for us to correctly execute our daily tasks?
We must know that there are certain specific points that fulfill very important functions and knowing them can help us reach a higher understanding about ourselves. Do you want to know one of the most important parts? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about Thalamus: what it is, functions and location.
What is the thalamus
When we refer to the thalamus, we are talking about a structure that is found within the central nervous system of the brain. At the same time, we can say that it is a tissue of neurons located in an area called the diencephalon. It is important to know that the diencephalon is in charge of controlling the emotions and sensations of the human being. This sector is located in an anterior region of the brain, which connects directly to a sector of the brainstem and the cerebrum. For these reasons, we can glimpse the complexity involved in brain tissues, since each of them carries out specific functions that are very useful in the daily activities of human beings.
Here you can see the .
If we observe the thalamus through an x-ray, we will notice that its oval and symmetrical shape divides the right and left hemispheres.
Functions of the thalamus
The thalamus has a series of important functions vital for people. First of all, we will mention that is responsible for the processing of motor and sensory information coming from the stimuli of the human body. In relation to this point, this sector has great relevance since it is located closely linked to the spinal cord and brain stem, which participate in the realization of nervous electrical impulses. Therefore, among the functions of the thalamus we find:
- Integration of sensory information: The thalamus is responsible for unifying stimuli related to vision, hearing, touch and taste. However, it is not part of the processing of olfactory stimuli since the olfactory system participates there.
- Regulation of the sleep cycle: Another function of the thalamus is to influence falling asleep and intervene in maintaining the state of wakefulness. Something that the hypothalamus also does. In this article, you can see what the .
- Maintenance of attention: The thalamus has been found to play an important role in a person’s attentional capacity. This allows humans to capture information found within their environment and enter it into the central nervous system to decode it.
- Regulation of emotions: There are a series of neural circuits that are responsible for transmitting various nervous signals in the form of messages. Under these circumstances, electrical impulses that contain messages related to emotions are produced by the thalamus. The main structure involved in emotions is the .
- Impact on memory: The human ability to store short, medium and long-term memories is regulated by several organs found within the central nervous system. In this aspect, we can highlight the thalamus as one of the most important so that sensory information can be located correctly. Learn about them here.
- Ordering of motor impulses: Another characteristic that highlights the functionality of the thalamus consists of the collaboration with different circuits of neurons oriented towards motor coordination. For this reason, the possibility of moving is largely regulated by the thalamus.
Location of the thalamus
Where is the thalamus? In order to distinguish its location in the central nervous system, we will describe some important areas. In addition to the diencephalon, there are other parts such as the , the , the brainstem, the reticular substance, the ventricles, among others.
Regarding the thalamus, we must know that It is located in connection with the diencephalon and within the internal sector of the brain. In relation to this point, the thalamus can be located above the brain stem. Additionally, above the thalamus is the striatum composed of the caudate nucleus and the putamen. On the other hand, the thalamus borders the cerebellum and its participation in the regulation of vital functions is crucial given the connection it has with the areas of the brain mentioned above. All of these regions are included within the cerebral cortex, which is the largest location within the human cranial cavity.
Finally, we will say that the location of this brain region is associated with good bodily functioning given its participation in people’s daily lives.
Nuclei of the thalamus
Let’s see the structure of the thalamus and what the nuclei of the thalamus are. The thalamus has a very rich nuclear structure. They have been identified up to 50 thalamic nuclei, some of them have several microscopic subdivisions. The nomenclature of the thalamic nuclei is very complex, we will see some of the most relevant ones:
- Midline nuclei (paratenial, paraventricular, reuniens, rhomboid)
- Intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus (centromedian, parafascicular, paracentral, lateral central and medial central)
- Reticular nuclei of the thalamus
- geniculate bodies
- Posterior ventral nuclei of the thalamus
- Cerebellar relay nuclei
- Anterior nuclei of the thalamus
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Duque Parra, JE, Vásquez, B., Del Sol, M. (2020). Thalamus according to Galen. A controversial metaphor. International Journal of Morphology, 38 (3), 799-803.
- Nadal, M., Amarillo, Y. (2018). The thalamus in the spotlight. Conicet Digital, 27 (160), 67-71.
- Perea-Bartolomé, MV, & Ladera-Fernández, V. (2004). The thalamus: neurofunctional aspects. Rev Neurol, 38(7)687-693.
- Quiroz-Padilla, MF, Martí-Nicolovius, M., & Guillazo-Blanch, G. (2010). Posterior intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus and cognitive processes. Journal of Neurology, 51(4), 217-225.