thalamus
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Function
- processes & filters sensory information en route to the cortex
- projections to the cerebral cortex (neocortex) are excitatory glutamatergic neurons that innervate:
- pyramidal cells of layers 3, 5 & 6
- spiny neurons of layer 4
- large basket cells of layers 3 & 5
- neurogliaform cells of layer 4
- gates conscious perception via thalamofrontal loop[3]
Pharmacology
- psychedelics may interfere with the filtering operations of the thalamus with more sensory information reaching the cortex[2]
More general terms
Component of
Components
- medial geniculate nucleus
- lateral geniculate nucleus
- geniculate nucleus
- reticular nucleus
- pulvinar
- paracentral nucleus
- central lateral nucleus
- centromedian nucleus
- ventral posterior lateral thalamic nucleus
- ventral posterior intermediate thalamic nucleus
- ventral posterior medial thalamic nucleus
- ventral posterior thalamic nucleus
- ventral lateral (intermediate) thalamic nucleus
- ventral anterior thalamic nucleus
- ventral thalamic nucleus
- lateral posterior thalamic nucleus
- lateral dorsal thalamic nucleus
- lateral thalamic nucleus
- midline thalamic nucleus
- anterior thalamic nucleus
- dorsomedial thalamic nucleus
- thalamic nucleus
References
- ↑ Clarke, D., UCLA Dept of Neurobehavior
- ↑ Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 Drew L Your brain on psychedelics. Nature. 2022 Sep;609(7929):S92-S94. PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36171369
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 Mallapaty S How does the brain control consciousness? This deep-brain structure. In a world of constant stimulation, the thalamus filters which thoughts we become aware of and which we don't. Nature News. April 3, 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01021-2
Fang Z, Dang Y, Ping A et al Human high-order thalamic nuclei gate conscious perception through the thalamofrontal loop. Science. 2025 Apr 4;388(6742):eadr3675. PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/40179184 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr3675