Ventral posterolateral nucleus

Ventral posterolateral nucleus

Thalamic nuclei
Details
Part of Ventral posterior nucleus
Identifiers
Latin nucleus ventralis posterolateralis thalami
NeuroNames hier-327
NeuroLex ID Ventral posterolateral nucleus
TA A14.1.08.641
A14.1.08.656
FMA 62200

Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL) is a nucleus of the thalamus. Together with the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM), ventral posterior inferior nucleus (VPI) and ventromedial posterior nucleus (VMpo), it constitutes the ventral posterior nucleus. There is uncertainty in the location of VMpo, as determined by spinothalamic tract (STT) terminations and staining for calcium-binding proteins, and several authorities do not consider its existence as being proved.[1]

Input and output

The VPL receives information from the neospinothalamic tract and the medial lemniscus of the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. It then projects this sensory information to Brodmann's Areas 3, 1 and 2 in the postcentral gyrus. Collectively, Brodmann areas 3, 1 and 2 make up the primary somatosensory cortex of the brain.

Additional images

References

  1. Willis et al The Journal of Pain 2002;3:79-94; Graziano and Jones, The Journal of Neuroscience 2004;24:248–256


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.