The Diencephalon

‫حسين البارقي‬
 Introduction

Forms the center core of the forebrain 

Surrounded by the cerebral 

hemispheres

:Composed of three paired structures 

Thalamus, hypothalamus, and 

epithalamus
Introduction

Occupies the bottom and 

inferolateral walls of the
.III ventricle

Primarily composed of 
gray matter
Parts of diencephalon
Thalamus 
Hypothalamus 
Epithalamus 
Subthalamus 
Thalamus
It is an oval mass of grey matter within the brain located just 
above the brain stem between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain

It has four surfaces, lateral, medial, superior and inferior and two
ends, anterior and posterior

Medial surface forms the lateral wall of third ventricle

Lateral surface lies in contact with the internal capsule

Thalamic nuclei
A, Y shaped sheet of white matter intermedullary lamina 
divides the thalamus into three parts
Anterior 
Medial 
Lateral 
Each part contains several nuclei 
Thalamic nuclei
Anterior thalamic nuclei are concerned with the 
emotional tone and recent memory

Medial thalamic nuclei are concerned with the behavior 

and expression

Lateral thalamic nuclei are connected to sensory and 

motor pathways including sense of taste and balance
Function of thalamus
. Sensory relay and integrative area 
.Recognize pain , temperature and touch 

Sleep and wakefulness cycle 

Hypothalamus
The floor of diencephalon is called hypothalamus 

:Boundaries 

Superiorly: hypothalamic sulcus 

:Inferiorly 

optic chiasma 

tuber cinereum 

Infundibulum 

mamillary body 

Anterior: lamina terminalis 

Posterior: continues with midbrain 

Function of hypothalamus
Autonomic control 
Endocrine control 
Temperature regulation 
Regulation of food and water intake 

Emotion and behavior 

Control of circadian rhythms 
Epithalamus
: Consist of 
Thalamic midullary stria 
Habenular trigone 
Habenular commissure 
Pineal body 
Posterior commissure 
Function of Epithalamus
.connect the limbic system to other parts of the brain 

The pineal gland secretes Melatonin which sets the day 

and night clock of the body

Subthalamus
Position: transition zone between diencephalons and 
tegmentum of midbrain
,Content: subthalamic nucleus 
parts of red nucleus and substantia nigra 
The subthalamic nucleus, whose neurons contain 
glutamate and have excitatory effects over neurons of
globus pallidus nnd substantia nigra
THE END