Emotion: Region Level: Thalamus

- Thalamus and Emotion:
- The old view: The Thalamus is not involved in the experience, but in
the expression of emotions (Lashley, 1938).
- The Thalamus is at the origin of W.B. Cannon theory
of emotion (Cannon 1927). The "...peculiar
quality of the emotion is added to simple sensation when the thalamic processes
are aroused". Sensory information enters the nervous system en course
to the cortex where it will activate conditioned responses. Either because
of cortical feed-back on the thalamus, or because of their centripetal
course, this information reaches the thalamus. The thalamus then computes
the specific emotional response and activates both subcortical and cortical
centers to generate emotional expression.
- Part of the LeDoux
circuit.
- Part of the Papez
circuit.
- Thalamus: General
- Locate it on
a MRI Slice.
- Dorsal Thalamus relays information to the cortex (Koniocortices). Modality
(broadly tuned) specific thalamic nuclei also project to the amygdala.
- Auditory: Medial Geniculate Body, and some posterior thalamic areas.
- Visual: Ventral Lateral Geniculate Body, and some areas of the posterior
thalamus.
- Somatosensory: terminal areas of the spinothalamic tract and medial
lemniscus.
Editor: Jean-Marc Fellous