The paratenial nucleus, or parataenial nucleus (), is a component of the
midline nuclear group
The midline nuclear group (or midline thalamic nuclei) is a region of the thalamus consisting of the following nuclei:
* Paraventricular thalamus, paraventricular nucleus of thalamus (''nucleus paraventricularis thalami'') - not to be confused wit ...
in the
thalamus
The thalamus (: thalami; from Greek language, Greek Wikt:θάλαμος, θάλαμος, "chamber") is a large mass of gray matter on the lateral wall of the third ventricle forming the wikt:dorsal, dorsal part of the diencephalon (a division of ...
. It is sometimes subdivided into the nucleus parataenialis interstitialis and nucleus parataenialis parvocellularis (Hassler). It is located above the bordering
paraventricular nucleus of thalamus and below the
anterodorsal nucleus.
The paratenial nucleus, like other midline nuclei, receives inputs from a large number of regions in the
brainstem
The brainstem (or brain stem) is the posterior stalk-like part of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. In the human brain the brainstem is composed of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. The midbrain is conti ...
,
hypothalamus
The hypothalamus (: hypothalami; ) is a small part of the vertebrate brain that contains a number of nucleus (neuroanatomy), nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions is to link the nervous system to the endocrin ...
and
limbic system. It projects back to an equally wide range, but in a fairly specific manner (in the past, the midline nuclei have often been described as "nonspecific" because of their global effects). Particular targets include medial frontal polar cortex, the
anterior cingulate,
insula, the
piriform and
entorhinal cortices, the ventral
subiculum,
claustrum, the
core and
shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
of
nucleus accumbens
The nucleus accumbens (NAc or NAcc; also known as the accumbens nucleus, or formerly as the ''nucleus accumbens septi'', Latin for ' nucleus adjacent to the septum') is a region in the basal forebrain rostral to the preoptic area of the hypo ...
, the medial
striatum
The striatum (: striata) or corpus striatum is a cluster of interconnected nuclei that make up the largest structure of the subcortical basal ganglia. The striatum is a critical component of the motor and reward systems; receives glutamat ...
, the
bed nucleus of stria terminalis, and caudal parts of the
central and basal nuclei of
amygdala
The amygdala (; : amygdalae or amygdalas; also '; Latin from Greek language, Greek, , ', 'almond', 'tonsil') is a paired nucleus (neuroanatomy), nuclear complex present in the Cerebral hemisphere, cerebral hemispheres of vertebrates. It is c ...
.
While the exact function of the nucleus is uncertain, its connectivity suggests that it (and the periventricular nucleus) may act as a gateway for multimodal information to the limbic system used in selecting appropriate responses.
This might include high incentive values of food triggering feeding behaviour even when
satiated. Conversely, the midline nuclei may also play a role in retrieving
consolidated fear conditioning through the projection to the
central nucleus of the amygdala.
References
{{reflist
Thalamic nuclei