Diencephalon

Hypothalamus

General information

Part of diencephalon

Weighs about 4 grams

The whole brain weighs 1 400 grams

Occupies the bottom and infero-lateral walls of

the III ventricle

Topography

In the center of the limbic system.

At the crossing of numerous nerve pathways.

Surrounded by the circle of Willis.

Boundaries
Anterior

Lamina terminalis

Posterior

Corpora mammillaria

Dorsal

Sulcus hypothalamicus

Medial

Lateral

Subthalamus & capsula interna

Ventral

Chiasma opticum, tuber

cinereum, corpora mammillaria
& neurohypophysis

Anatomy

Chiasma opticum

Infundibulum

Tuber cinereum

Corpus mamillare

Tractus opticus

Organization

Composed of lateral and medial zones divided by

fornix.

Nuclei of the lateral zone concerned with feeding

(center of hunger) and drinking (center of thirst).

Nuclei of the medial zone grouped in 3 regions: regio

anterior, tuberalis and posterior.

Nucl. preopticus lateralis

Nucl. hypothalamicus lateralis

Regio preoptica

Nucl. preopticus medialis

Regio supraoptica

Nucl. suprachiasmatis
Nucl. anterior
Nucl. paraventricularis
Nnucl. supraopticus

Regio tuberalis

Nucl. dorsomedialis
Nucl. ventromedialis
Nucl arcuatus

Regio mamillaris

Nucll. mamillares
Nucl. posterior

Lateral zone
Crossed by fasciculus prosencephalicus medialis
Contains two nuclei:
1. Nucleus preopticus lateralis
2. Nucleus hypothalamicus lateralis
- when stimulated feeling of hunger
- when destroyed anorexia nervosa and fast

Nucleus preopticus

Control of parasympathetic function

Regio anterior

Nucleus supraopticus

Synthesis and secretion of vasopressin.

Damage causes diabetes insipidus.

Nucleus suprachiasmaticus Fibers from the retina; fibers to the pineal body.
Controls circadian rhythms.

Nucleus anterior

Controls temperature and sexual behavior.

Nucleus paraventricularis

Synthesis and secretion of oxytocin (milk

secretion & uterine contraction). Controls food
intake

Hypothalamus

Regio tuberalis
Nucleus dorsomedialis

- center of hunger
- on stimulation rage, cruelty
Nucleus ventromedialis

- center of satiety
- on stimulation depression of apetite
Nucleus arcuatus

- periventricular in tuber cinereum

- secretes releasing-factors
- dopaminergic neurons, inhibit release of prolactin

Regio posterior
Nucleus mamillaris
- impulses from hippocampal formation via fornix

- impulses from tegmental nuclei, nuclei raphae via pedunculus mamillaris

- projections to nucleus anterior thalami via tractus mamillothalamicus
Nucleus posterior

- controls thermoregulation ( )
- damage causes poikilothermia inability of thermoregulation

Connections

Connections
Extensive and complex, can be summarized in 3
categories:
Connections with the limbic system
Connections with the pituitary gland
Connections with somatic and visceral nuclei

1) Fasciculus prosencephalicus medialis: visceral

function

2) Tractus supraopticohypophysialis: neurosecretion

3) Tractus tuberoinfundibularis: liberins & statins
4) Afferents from corpora mamillaria: visceral function
5) Efferents to brainstem & spinal cord: autonomous
function

Connections

Afferents
- nucleus

tractus solitarii visceral information via vagus.

- formatio reticularis various information from spinal cord.

- retina to nucl. suprachiasmaticus. Circadian rhythm.
- circumventricular organs lacks blood-brain bareer.
Control of substances isolated from the CNS, e.g., toxins.
- limbic and olfactory system controls behavior reactions.
- intrinsic receptors, monitor temperature and water balance.

Main afferents
From most parts of brain.
Most pathways are non-myelinated and small.

Fasciculus prosencephalicus medialis

From area septalis & area olfactoria lateralis to hypothalamic
nuclei.
Integrates olfaction with emotions and feeding.
Stria terminalis
From corpus amygdaloideum and area septalis to regio
preoptica and nuclei hypothalamici anteriores.
Controls physiological response to emotions and sexual
arousal.
Fornix
From formatio hippocampalis to corpora mammillaria.
Integrates memory, emotions and visceral reactions.

Main efferents
Fasciculus mammillothalamicus

From nuclei mamillares to nucleus anterior of

thalamus.

Creating and coding memory traces.

Hypothalamo-reticular pathway

Connects the hypothalamus with parasympathetic

and sympathetic nuclei.

Efferents:
To autonomous nervous system
medulla: ) parasympathetic nucleus of n. vagus
) cells projecting to sympathetic nuclei in the spinal cord.
Control of heart rate, vasoconstriction, digestion, sweating
etc..
Endocrine signals to/through pituitary gland
) axons to neurohypophysis to release oxitocin &
vasopressin;
) releasing factors into the vessels of adenohypophysis.
Hypoth can control any endocrine gland, change blood
pressure (vasopressin and vasoconstriction), body
temperature, metabolism (TSH) and epinephrine level (ACTH).

Hypothalamus = Homeostasis
Blood pressure, temperature, water and electrolyte balance, weight are
maintained within optimal values.

Controls

Autonomous, endocrine, emotional and somatic

functions

Serves three basic systems:

Autonomic nervous system
Endocrine system
Lymbic system

Maintains homeostasis of the body

Function
1. Autonomous control
- anterior region stimulates parasympathetic function
- posterior region stimulates sympathetic function

2. Thermoregulation
- anterior region maintains bogy temperature
- posterior region stimulates production and preserving heat

3. Maintaining water balance

. Nucleus ventromedialis center of satiety
. Nucleus hypothalamicus lateralis center of hunger
4. Liberins and statins
- produced from nucleus arcuatus
- transported to the portal system of adenohypophysis
- control hormon production in the adenohypophysis

Functional characteristics

Subthalamus

General characteristics

Vaguely delineated area between midbrain, thalamus,

hypothalamus, capsula interna and ventricle.

Contains fibers and nuclear structures - zona incerta, nucleus

subthalamicus, Forel fields, nuclei reticulares

Connected mainly with somatomotor functions

Nuclear structures

Nucleus subthalamicus (Luys)

Well defined lying on capsula interna
Rostral penetration of sustantia nigra
Connected bilaterally with globus pallidus

Nuclei reticulares
Small groups and extensions of cells

Zona incerta - continuation of nucleus reticularis thalami

Fields H of Forel (prerubral):

H1 of Forel - between thalamus and zona inserta
H2 of Forel - between nucl. subthalamicus and zona
inserta

Fibers
A. Fasciculus thalamicus (in H1 field of Forel)

1. Lemniscus medialis
2. Tractus dentatothalamicus
3. Tractus pallidothalamicus
4. Bundle of reticular fibers connecting brainstem with
diencephalon
B. Fasciculus lenticularis (in H2 field of Forel)

- Pallidothalamic fibers through capsula interna

C. Ansa lenticularis

- Fibers from globus pallidus (mainly pallidothalamic)

beneath capsula interna
bidirectional fibers between globus
pallidus and nucleus subthalamicus

D. Fasciculus subthalamicus