| Midline nuclear group | |
|---|---|
 Thalamic nuclei: MNG = Midline nuclear group AN = Anterior nuclear group MD = Medial dorsal nucleus VNG = Ventral nuclear group VA = Ventral anterior nucleus VL = Ventral lateral nucleus VPL = Ventral posterolateral nucleus VPM = Ventral posteromedial nucleus LNG = Lateral nuclear group PUL = Pulvinar MTh = Metathalamus LG = Lateral geniculate nucleus MG = Medial geniculate nucleus | |
 Thalamic nuclei | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nuclei mediani thalami |
| MeSH | D020644 |
| NeuroNames | 306 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_1462 |
| TA98 | A14.1.08.627 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The midline nuclear group (or midline thalamic nuclei) is a region of the thalamus consisting of the following nuclei:
- paraventricular nucleus of thalamus (nucleus paraventricularis thalami) - not to be confused with paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus
- paratenial nucleus (nucleus parataenialis)
- nucleus reuniens (also known as the medioventral nucleus)
- rhomboidal nucleus (nucleus commissuralis rhomboidalis)
- subfascicular nucleus (nucleus subfascicularis)
The midline nuclei are often called "nonspecific" in that they project widely to the cortex and elsewhere. This has led to the assumption that they may be involved in general functions such as alerting.[1] However, anatomical connections might suggest more specific functions, with the paraventricular and paratenial nuclei involved in viscero-limbic functions, and the reuniens and rhomboid nuclei involved in multimodal sensory processing.[2]
- ^ Rand Swenson. Review of clinical and functional neuroscience: chapter 10: Thalamic Organization. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~rswenson/NeuroSci/chapter_10.html
- ^ Van der Werf YD, Witter MP, Groenewegen HJ. The intralaminar and midline nuclei of the thalamus. Anatomical and functional evidence for participation in processes of arousal and awareness. Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2002 Sep;39(2-3):107-40.