By

Dr Manah Chandra Changmai

Thalamus is a part of diencephalon

Diecephalon divided into 4 regions

Thalamus

Hypothalamus

Epithalamus

Ventral thalamus(or subthalamus)

Diencephalon
Thalamus
 Thalamus
Large mass of grey matter,lies immediately
lateral to third ventricle

The thalamus is an ovoid nuclear mass, c.4cm

long, which borders the dorsal part of third
ventricle

Two poles
Anterior pole(or end)
-Lies behind the interventricular foramen
Posterior pole(or end)
-Also called PULVINAR
-Lies just above and lateral to superior
colliculus. Thalamus
 Thalamus
Posterior
Interventricular
pole or
foramina
pulvinar

Superior
colliculus
Thalamus

Anterior pole
Superior(dorsal) surface
-The superior (dorsal) surface of the thalamus Superior surface
is covered by a thin layer of white matter, the
stratum zonale

-It extends laterally from the line of reflection

of the ependyma (taenia thalami), and forms
the roof of the third ventricle

-This curved surface is separated from the

overlying body of the fornix by the choroid
fissure with the tela choroidea within it.

-More laterally it forms part of the floor of the

lateral ventricle.

-related laterally to caudate nucleus

-Seperated from caudate nucleus stria

terminalis and thalamostriate vein.
 Surfaces of the thalamus

Medial surface
Superior surface

Inferior surface
 The medial surface
The medial surface of the thalamus is the
superior (dorsal) part of the lateral wall of the
third ventricle.

It is usually connected to the contralateral

thalamus by an interthalamic adhesion behind
the interventricular foramina.

The boundary with the hypothalamus is

marked by an indistinct hypothalamic sulcus,
which curves from the upper end of the
cerebral aqueduct to the interventricular
foramen.
The thalamus is continuous with the midbrain
tegmentum, the subthalamus and the
hypothalamus

Medial surface
 Medial surface of thalamus

Midbrain tegmentum

Hypothalamus
 Inferior surface of thalamus

Inferior surface of the tegmentum is related

to hypothalamus anteriorly and to ventral
thalamus posteriorly.

The ventral thalamus seperates the thalamus

from tegmentum of midbrain
 Internal structure of the thalamus

Thalamus consists of mainly of grey matter

Superior surface is covered by a thin layer of

white matter called stratum zonale

Lateral surface is covered by a similar layer called external

medullary layer.

Internally, the thalamus is divided into anterior, medial and lateral

nuclear groups by a vertical Y-shaped sheet of white matter, the
internal medullary lamina

Nuclei of the anterior part.

Anterior nucleus.

Nuclei in the medial part

Largest nuclei among them medial dorsal nucleus.
 Nuclei in the lateral part

Ventral group Lateral group

Ventral anterior nucleus Lateral dorsal

nucleus
Ventral lateral nucleus
Or Lateral posterior
Ventral intermediate nucleus nucleus

Ventral posterior nucleus Pulvinar

Other thalamic nuclei

Intralaminar nuclei
Embedded within the internal medullary
Lamina

Midline nuclei
Scattered cells between medial part of the
thalamus and ependyma of third ventricle.

Medial and lateral geniculate bodies

Now included under the thalamus.
Connections of the thalamus

Afferent impulses from large number of

Subcortical centres converge to the thalamus.

Visual and aduditory impulses reach the lateral

And medial geniculate bodies.

Sensation of taste are conveyed to the thalamus

Through solitariothalamic fibres

Thalamus does not receive direct olfactory impulses

They probably reach through amygdaloid complex.

Thalamus receive profuse connections from all part

Of cerebral cortex,cerebellum and corpus striatum.
Thalamus is there fore regarded as integrating centre
Where information of all sources is brought together.

The information from thalamus is projected to whole

Of the cerebral cortex through thalamo-cortical projection.

Thalamocortical fibres form large bundles known as

Thalamic radiations or thalamic radiation.

Thalamic radiations

Superior thalamic radiation Posterior thalamic radiations Ventral thalamic

(dorsal ) ( caudal ) radiation
Posterior thalamic radiation

Superior thalamic radiations

Thalamus Anterior
thalamic
radiations
 Connection of ventral group of nuclei

Most important connection of thalamus are from ventral posterior

nucleus

cerebral cortex
(somatosensory area,3 1 2)

ventral posterior nucleus

medial part lateral part

Trigeminothalamic tract Medial leminiscus

Solitariothalamic tract Spinothalamic tract
 Ventral lateral nucleus

cerebral cortex
premotor and Area 4
supplementary motor area

ventral lateral nucleus

Anterior part Medial part Posterior part

From globus From substantia From

pallidus nigra Cerebellar nuclei
Vestibular nuclei
Spinal cord
 Connection of lateral group of nucleuses

cerebral cortex
Gyrus Parahippo Parietal Prefrontal Temporal Occipita
cinguli campal lobe & orbito l lobe
gyrus frontal

Lateral Lateral posterior pulvinar

dorsal

Retina
Superior colliculus
& Pretectal area
Medial and lateral geniculate bodies are oval
Collection of grey matter

Situated below the posterior part of thalamus.

Traditionally under metathalamus,functionally

Under thalamus.

The medial geniculate bodies

-Relay station of the auditory pathway.
-Medial geniculate body recieves fibres of lateral
leminiscus.
-Fibres arising in the medial geniculate bodies
constitute the acoustic radiation.

Medial geniculate body

 Connection of medial geniculate body
Acoustic area
of cerebral
cortex
pulvinar

Medial
geniculate
body
Inferior brachium

Inferior
colliculus

Lateral leminiscus

Superior Opposite
superior
olivary
olivary
nucleus nucleus
Lateral geniculate body

Relay station for visual pathway

 Recieves fibres from retinae of both the eyes

Efferent fibres arising in the body constitute

optic radiation.

 Sections through lateral geniculate body shows

partially split six lamellae seperated by nerve
fibres.

Lateral geniculate body also recieves fibres from

primary visual cortex.,superior colliculus,and
from the reticular formation of pons and medulla.
Lateral geniculate body
Connections of lateral geniculate body
Pulvinar

Retina Visual areas of

Lateral geniculate
Ipsilateral & cerebral
body
Contralateral cortex

Superior
colliculus

Raphe Locus Other areas in

nuclei coeruleus pons & medulla
Reticular formation
Blood supply of thalamus

Perforating branches of the posterior cerebral artery

Posteromedial group(thalamo-perforating arteries) supply

medial and anterior part.

Posterolateral group ( thalamo-geniculate branches) supply

posterior and lateral part of thalamus.

Also recieves branches from posterior communicating

anterior choroidal,posterior choroidal and middle cerebral
artery.
 Thalamic syndrome

Thalamic syndrome (or thalamic pain syndrome) is a condition that

can be associated with inadequate blood supply from the
posterior cerebral artery.

Rare neurological disorder in which the body becomes

hypersensitive to pain as a result of damage to the thalamus, a part
of the brain that affects sensation

Primary symptoms are pain and loss of sensation, usually in the

face, arms, and/or legs.

Pain or discomfort may be felt[1] after being mildly touched or even in

the absence of a stimulus.

The pain associated with thalamic syndrome may be made worse by

exposure to heat or cold and by emotional distress. Sometimes, this may
include even such emotions as those brought on by listening to music.

It is also known as "Dejerine-Roussy disease", after

Joseph Jules Dejerine and Gustave Roussy
Thank you