Het brein - The Subcortex

7 important questions on Het brein - The Subcortex

What are the three different systems within the subcortex?

1. The basal ganglia
2. The limbic system
3. The diencephalon

What is the basal ganglia and its function?

The basal ganglia are large rounded masses that lie in each hemisphere. They surround and overhang the thalamus in the center of the brain.

They are involved in regulating motor activity and the rogramming and termination of action. The basal ganglia are also implicated in the learning of rewards, skills and habits.

How can disorders of the basal ganglia be characterized?

1. Hypokenetic (poverty of movement), Parkinson
2. Hyperkenetic (excess of movement) , Huntington
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What are the main structures of basal ganglia?

1. Caudate nucleus (an elongated tail-like structure)
2. The putamen (lying more lateral)
3. Globus pallidus (lying more medially)

What is the function of the limbic system and its components?

Is important for relating the organism to its environment based on current needs and the present situation, and based on previous experience. It is involved in the detection and expression of emotional responses.

Amagdyla: detection of fearful or threatening stimuli.
Cingulate gyrus: detection of emotional and cognitive conflicts.
Hippocampus: important for learning and memory
Mamillary bodies: implicated in memory
Olfactory bullbs: importance of smell for detecting environmentally salient stimuli and its influence on mood and memory

What is the location and function of the thalamus?

The thalamus consists of two interconnected egg-shaped masses that lie in the center of the brain and appaer prominent in a medial section.

The thalamus is the main sensory relay for all senses (except smell) between the sense organs in the cortex. It also contains projections to almost all parts of the cortex and the basal ganglia.

At the posterior end of the thalamus lie the lateral geniculate nucleus and the medial geniculate nucleus, these are the main sensory relays to the primary visual and primary auditory cortices.

What is the location and function of the hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus lies beneath the thalamus and consists of a variety of nuclei that are specialized for different functions primarily concerned with the body. These include body temperature, hunger and thirst, sexual activity and regulation of endocrine functions (regulating body growth).

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