ANATOMY OF THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

GRAY MATTER
 Limbic Lobe
o Cingulate gyrus: memory, emotional processing, ANS
o Parahippocampal gyrus: memory processing
 Hippocampal Formation/ Hippocampus: memory
o Dentate gyrus: afferent information into the hippocampus
o Subiculum: efferent
o Hippocampus proper: efferent
 Amygdala: emotion + behavior
o Corticomedial group: olfaction
o Basolateral group: emotion and behavior not related to olfaction
 Hypothalamus
o Mamillary bodies
o ANS nuclei
 posterior: SN nuclei
 anterior: PS nuclei
 Thalamus
o Anterior nucleus: memory
o Dorsomedial nucleus: emotion and behavior
 Septal area: reward pathway, emotions
 Habenula: reward pathway, emotions

WHITE MATTER TRACTS

 Fornix: Hippocampus ↔ Septal area + Hypothalamus: memory pathways
 Striae terminalis: Amygdala ↔ Septal area + Hypothalamus (dorsal)
 Ventral amygdalofugal pathway: Amygdala ↔ Septal area + Hypothalamus & Amygdala ↔
Dorsomedial nuclei of thalamus
 Stria medullaris thalami: Septal area ↔ Habenula
 Mammillothalamic tract: Mamillary bodies of hypothalamus ↔ Anterior nucleus of thalamus
 Medial forebrain bundle: Prefrontal cortex ↔ Hypothalamus ↔ Reticular formation of the
brainstem
 Mammillotegmental tract: Hypothalamus → Ventral pigmental area
 Mammillary peduncles: Hypothalamus ← Ventral pigmental area

FUNCTIONS
 olfaction
o PHG: memory of smells
o amygdala: emotions of smells
 memory/ learning
o Papez circuit
 Subiculum (hippocampus) → fornix → mammillary bodies → anterior nucleus of
thalamus →
 (1) cingulate gyrus → PHG → dentate gyrus (hippocampus) [entorhinal
cortex: PHG → dentate gyrus] → subiculum
 (2) cingulate gyrus → prefrontal cortex: memory involvement in
decision making
 emotions and behaviors
o emotional responses
 fear
 amygdala → hypothalamus
o posterior hypothalamic nucleus → preganlionic n. in the
thoracolumbar region of spinal cord (hypothalamospinal tract)
→ ANS response:
 liver= ↑ glucose
 heart= ↑ heart rate
 blood vessels= ↑ blood pressure
 lungs= ↑ respiratory rate
o hypothalamic nuclei (pareventriuclar nucleus?) release CRH →
CRH tells pituitary to release ACTH → ACTH stimulates adrenal
gland to make cortisol= stress
 anxiety
 rage
 sadness
o behaviors:
 feeding
 amygdala → hypothalamus
o ventromedial nucleus= satiety
o lateral hypothalamic nucleus= hunger
 sexual
 amygdala → hypothalamus
o paraventricular nucleus= oxytocin= ↑ sexual drive
o median preoptic nucleus= GnRH = ↑ testosterone= ↑ sexual
drive
 motivation (e.g., substance abuse)
 amygdala → septal area + hypothalamus → ventral tegmental area (↑
dopamine) →
o nucleus accumbens (meso-limbic pathway)= reward
o prefrontal cortex (meso-cortical pathway)= reward
o amygdala afferent:
 prefrontal cortex
 temporal lobe
 posterior association area (from SSAC, VAC, AAC)
 o amygdala efferent:
 septal area
 hypothalamus (ANS)

CLINICAL
 Kluver-Bucy
o damage to both temporal lobes, especially the hippocampus and amygdala
o manifestations:
 placidity
 hyperphasia
 hypersexual
 amnesia
 Wernicke’s encephalopathy
o B1 deficiency
o manifestations:
 confabulation (mammillary bodies)
 ataxia (middle cerebellar pedunclues)
 ophthalmoplegia (CN2 and CNG nuclei)