Amygdala and Hippocampus and Hypothalamus

Maryann Martone, Ph. D. NEU257

The Limbic System

The hypothalamus, the anterior thalamic nucleus, the cingulate gyrus, the hippocampus and their interconnections, constitute a harmonious mechanism which may elaborate the functions of central emotion as well as participate in the emotional expression. -James Papez, 1939 Broca, Papez, Kluver and Bucy, McClean Parts of the brain underlying emotional behavior Associated with the olfactory system; rhinencephalon = smell brain

Limbic Lobe: Broca

http://www.hallym.ac.kr/~de1610/nana/chp-12n.htm#II

Often, the term limbic structure is used in a vague fashion to distinguish it from motor structures Heimer, 1996

From the Digital Anatomist website

Olfactory System

thalamus.wustl.edu/ course/lim5.gif From the Digital Anatomist website

http://da-atlases.biostr.washington.edu:80/cgi-bin/DA/PageMaster?atlas:NeuroSyllabus+ffpathIndex/Syllabus^Chapters/VisceralAfferent/OlfSystem+2

Olfactory Cortex
Also cortical amygdaloid nucleus and periamygdaloid area Projects to ventral striatum, MD thalamus, insula and orbitofrontal cortex

Pyriform cortex = 1 olfactory cortex Allocortex, paleocortex 3 layered

http://da-atlases.biostr.washington.edu:80/cgi-bin/DA/PageMaster?atlas:NeuroSyllabus+ffpathIndex/Syllabus^Chapters/VisceralAfferent/OlfRegions+2

Olfactory Cortex

http://www.hallym.ac.kr/~de1610/nana/chp-12n.htm#II

Olfactory Cortex

Monkey brain
From the Digital Anatomist website

Rodent Brain

The Amygdala
Burdach 1819: the amygdaloid complex (almond) Johnston 1923: central, medial, cortical, basal nuclei Price 1980s: basolateral, cortical, central medial nucleus De Olmos and Heimer 1991: extended amygdala Swanson 1998: there is no amygdala

The amygdaloid complex

Over 20 divisions/nuclei, depending on whom you talk to 500-1000 different connections identified (Swanson) Swanson: The amygdala is neither a structural nor a functional unit of the cerebral hemispheres; instead, its cell groups participate in at least four distinct, though interconnected, functional systems or differentiations of the corticostriatopallidal system. Terms such as 'amygdala' and 'lenticular nucleus' combine cell groups arbitrarily rather than according to the structural and functional units to which they now seem to belong..
L. W. Swanson: The amygdala and its place in the cerebral hemisphere, PNAS 985: 174, 2003.

Human (from digital anatomist)

Macaque (from brainmaps.org)

Mouse

One view
(based on Heimer, 1996)
Basolateral
Similar to cortex Projects to ventral striatum Has pyramidal like cells Receives input from primary sensory cortex, polysensory cortex and thalamus Connections are reciprocal

Cortical
Olfactory amygdala Receives direct input form olfactory system, both the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex

Central Medial group

Main output of amygdaloid complex Input from hippocampus, orbitofrontal, insula, anterior cingulate cortex as well as basolateral group Projects to hypothalamus, brainstem via stria terminalis and amygdaloventral fugal pathway Part of central autonomic network

http://www.driesen.com/amygdala_connections.htm

Price, Ann. NY Acad Sci., 985:50-58 (2003)

Connections of the central medial group

cal.vet.upenn.edu/neuro/server/ slides/ns_075-BNST.jpg

Extended amygdala: Central medial group shares continuity and similarity with parts of substantia innominata and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

The Hippocampus
Greek: Sea Monster Another terminology mess
Allocortex/ archicortex Hippocampal formation (after Amaral and Witter)
Dentate gyrus Hippocampus proper Cornu ammonis Subicular complex
Subiculum Presubiculum parasubiculum

Entorhinal cortex

C shaped structure in medial temporal lobe

From Digital Anatomist

http://www.hallym.ac.kr/~de1610/nana/chp-12n.htm#II

Development

http://www.hallym.ac.kr/~de1610/nana/chp-12n.htm#II

From Digital Anatomist

From Digital Anatomist

Gross Anatomy
Septal-temporal poles Fornix Fimbria, body, columns Rodent Supracommissural hippocampus=supracallosal gyrus, indusium griseum

Human

Connections
Afferents: Much of cortex is reciprocally connected to entorhinal cortex Cholinergic and GABA input via septal nuclei Amygdala VTA, LC, Raphe

Efferents Via the fornix Precommissural: septal nuclei Post-commisural: mammillary bodies (to anterior thalamic nucleus via mammillothalamic tract)

Cytoarchitecture
Two interlocking cell fields Dentate gyrus hippocampus

Human Rodent

Stratum oriens Stratum pyramidale Stratum lucidum Stratum radiatum Stratum lacunosummoleculare
ml=molecular layer

so sp

sl
sr sl-m

ml

Hilus
www.deltagen.com/.../nervous/ cerebrum_hippo_10x.htm

CA1-CA3: pyramidal neurons Dentate Gyrus: granule cells

Cajal, 1901

Intrinsic connections

http://www.angelfire.com/yt/yas709neuroscience/hippocampus.htm

Hypothalamus: General description

Master regulator!! Vital regulatory functions include: temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood osmolarity, goal seeking behavior, emotional behavior, visceral nervous system, sexual activity, food & water intake
homeostasis

Below rostral thalamus (hypo =under/beneath) Forms floor and lower walls of third ventricle Contains various classes of peptidergic neuroendocrine cells which control endocrine function Communicates with cortex via limbic system and also via direct projections

Anatomy of Hypothalamus

science.tjc.edu/ images/brain/Index.htm

Anterior (supraoptic): preoptic, superchiasmatic, supraoptic, paraventricular Middle (tuberal): dorsomedial, ventral medial nuclei, arcuate nucleus Posterior (mammillary): mamllary body, posterior hypothalamic area, tubermammillary nucleus Medial-Lateral Zones Periventricular Medial Lateral

Cytoarchitecture

Macaque: brainmaps.org

Main Inputs to Hypothalamus

receives info on external and internal conditions:
specific sensory info (e.g., direct retinal projection to suprachiastmatic nucleus) input from visceral senses (NTS: nucleus of the solitary tracttaste) contains many neurons that are sensitive to local temperature, osmolarity, glucose, sodium circulating hormones influence it via the circumventricular organs
Brain regions near ventricles that lack a blood-brain barrier, e.g., subfornical organ, OVLT, median eminence

Hypothalamus pathways
Afferent Pathway Median forebrain bundle Fornix Stria terminalis Efferent Pathway hypothalamicohypophyseal (from supraoptic nuclei) Mammillothalamic tract Projecting from Collaterals from other tracts Hippocampus (to MB) amygdala Projecting to Neurohypophysis (pituitary) Anterior thalamic nucleus

Widespread projections to many brain regions, including the cerebral cortex, via histamine and hypocretin containing neurons in the tuberal region of the hypothalamus

The medial forebrain bundle is one of the most famous hypothalamic fiber bundles, but also one of the most incomprehensible-Lennart Heimer
Axons from olfactory related areas Monoaminergic axons Ascending and descending fibers similar to those found in the brain stem reticular formation Collaterals of other pathways Amygdalar fibers
From braininfo.org

Peptidergic neuroendocrine cells: Magnocellular neurons

Large neurons Located in paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei Secrete oxytocin and vasopressin into general circulation via posterior pituitary Oxytocin uterine contraction & milk ejection Vasopressin vasoconstriction, water resorption by the kidney

Magnocellular Secretory System

clem.mscd.edu/~raoa/ bio2320/endo1/sld003.htm

Peptidergic neuroendocrine cells: Parvocellular neurons

small neurons Located in medial basal region, arcuate and tuberal nuclei, periventricular region, preoptic and paraventricular nuclei Secrete releasing and inhibiting hormones into portal vasculature via anterior pituitary Nobel prize awarded to Guillemin (Salk), Schally and Yalow in 1977 for their (independent) work in proving the hypothesis that the hypothalamus releases hormones that regulate the pituitary

Hypothalamic Portal System

clem.mscd.edu/~raoa/ bio2320/endo1/sld003.htm

Peripheral Influence of Hypothalamus

clem.mscd.edu/~raoa/ bio2320/endo1/sld003.htm

Hypocretin
Also known as orexin Peptide involved in arousal and feeding behavior Project to thalamus, cortex and brainstem regions associated with arousal, cardiovascular control, and autonomic functions Few thousand neurons Loss of hypocretin neurons implicated in human narcolepsy
From Thannickal et al., Neuron 27: 469, 2000