Where in the brain is the habenular nuclei?
The habenular nuclei comprise a small group of nuclei that are part of the epithalamus of the diencephalon, and is located just above the thalamus and is divided into two asymmetric halves: the medial habenula (MHb) and the lateral habenula (LHb).
What does the Habenular nucleus do?
The habenula has connections with the pineal gland, which in turn, secrete melatonin (a hormone important for regulating the circadian rhythms and promoting sleep). Some studies suggest that the habenula itself also produces melatonin, thus promoting sleep and sleep quality.
What does habenula mean?
Medical definitions for habenula The stalk of the pineal gland. No longer in technical use. A circumscript cell mass embedded in the posterior end of the medullary stria of the thalamus, from which it receives most of its afferent fibers. habena pedunculus of pineal body.
What are pulvinar nuclei?
The pulvinar is the largest nucleus of the thalamus and has strong connectivity with the visual cortex. The pulvinar is a prototypic association nucleus that participates in reciprocal cortico-cortical interactions and promotes synchronized oscillatory activity in functionally related areas of the cortex.
What is Metathalamus?
The metathalamus is a region of the thalamencephalon formed by the medial and lateral geniculate bodies bilaterally. It serves as an important relay nucleus in both the auditory and visual pathways.
What is the interpeduncular nucleus?
The interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) is an unpaired, ovoid cell group at the base of the midbrain tegmentum. It is located in the mesencephalon below the interpeduncular fossa. As the name suggests, the interpeduncular nucleus lies in between the cerebral peduncles.
What is a brain commissure?
Commissural fibers of the brain, also known as commissural tracts of the brain or commissures are a type of white matter tract that cross the midline, connecting the same cortical area in opposite hemispheres (right-left hemispheric connections 3).