Ventral posterior nucleus

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Ventral posterior nucleus
Thalamic nuclei
Details
Part ofThalamus
Identifiers
LatinNucleus ventralis posterior thalami
NeuroNames343
NeuroLex IDbirnlex_1116
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The ventral posterior nucleus is the somato-sensory relay nucleus in thalamus of the brain.[1]

Input and output

The ventral posterior nucleus receives neuronal input from the medial lemniscus, spinothalamic tracts, and trigeminothalamic tract. It projects to the somatosensory cortex and the ascending reticuloactivation system.

Subdivisions

The ventral posterior nucleus is divided into:

Function

The ventral posterior nucleus has, by virtue of its afferent and efferent pathways, crucial relay and regulatory roles in touch, body position, pain, temperature, itch, taste, and arousal. Additionally, the VPN—and particularly the ventral intermediate nucleus of the VPN—have been implicated in the pathophysiology and modulation of oscillatory tremors as found in Parkinson's disease and essential tremor; accordingly, it is a target of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of such pathologies.

Additional images

References

  1. ^ Sheridan, Nicholas; Tadi, Prasanna (2023), "Neuroanatomy, Thalamic Nuclei", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 31751098, retrieved 2023-09-17
  2. ^ Deiber, MP (1993). "Thalamic stimulation and suppression of parkinsonian tremor". Brain. 116 (1): 267–79. doi:10.1093/brain/116.1.267. PMID 8453462.