Nucleus
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Group
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Type
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Input
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Output
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Function
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Anterior
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Anterior
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Diffuse projection
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mammillary bodies, hippocampus
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cingulate gyrus
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memory formation
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Dorsal medial (DM)
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Medial nuclear
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Diffuse projection
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olfactory cortex, amygdala
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hypothalamus, cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex
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emotional behavior
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Centromedian (CM)
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Intralaminar
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-
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globus pallidus (inhibitory)
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caudate and putamen
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modulation of basal ganglia
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Other IL nuclei
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Intralaminar
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Diffuse projection
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pontine and mesencephalic reticular formation
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diffuse projections to frontal cortex and other thalamic nuclei
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thalamic portion of ascending reticular activation system
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Ventral anterior (VA)
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Lateral nuclear
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Relay
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Basal Ganglia (GPi, SNr)
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Primary, Pre and Supplementary motor cortex (areas 4 & 6)
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motor relay. activation facilitates movement
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Ventral lateral (VL)
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Lateral nuclear
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Relay
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Basal Ganglia (GPi, SNr) & Cerebellum
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Primary, Pre and Supplementary motor cortex (areas 4 & 6)
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motor relay. activation facilitates movement
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Ventral posterolateral (VPL)
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Lateral nuclear
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Relay
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cuneate, gracile nuclei, marginal zone and substantia gelatinosa
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somatosensory cortex (areas 1,2,3)
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somatosensory relay for body, relays info from ALS and DCML tracts
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Ventral posteromedial (VPM)
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Lateral nuclear
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Relay
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spinal and principal nuclei of V, nucleus solitarius
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somatosensory cortex (areas 1,2,3), taste cortex (area 43)
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somatosensory relay for face, relays sensory info (from trigeminothalamic tract) and taste info
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Lateral dorsal (LD) and Lateral posterior (LP)
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Lateral nuclear
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Diffuse projection
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sensory cortex, other thalamic nuclei
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frontal, parietal and cingulate cortex
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sensory and emotional info integration
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LGN
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Lateral nuclear
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Relay
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retina (60% feedback from cortex)
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visual cortex (area 17), cuneate and lingual gyri via optic radiations
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visual relay
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MGN
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Lateral nuclear
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Relay
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inferior colliculus (via brachium of the inferior colliculus)
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auditory cortex (area 41), via auditory radiations
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auditory relay
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Pulvinar
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Lateral nuclear
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Diffuse projection
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reciprocal input from all output areas, superior colliculus, primary visual cortex
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parietal and temporal association areas
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integration of sensory information, modulation of spatial attention (?)
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Reticular
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Reticular
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Diffuse projection
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thalamic nuclei (excitatory input), collateral projections from cortical feedback to thalamus)
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inhibitory output to thalamic nuclei from which input was received (only thalamic nucleus w/o projection to cortex & w/ inhibitory output)
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regulate flow of info from thalamus to cortex, part of ascending reticular activating system, modulation of arousal & sleep, generation of oscillations (?)
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