Ventral posterolateral nucleus explained

The ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL) is one of the subdivisions of the ventral posterior nucleus in the ventral nuclear group of the thalamus. It relays sensory information from the second-order neurons of the neospinothalamic tract and medial lemniscus (of the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway) which synapse with the third-order neurons in the nucleus. These then project to the primary somatosensory cortex in the postcentral gyrus.^[1]

There is uncertainty regarding the location of VMpo (posterior part of ventral medial nucleus), as determined by spinothalamic tract (STT) terminations and staining for calcium-binding proteins, and several authorities do not consider its existence as being proved.^{[2] [3]}

The term "ventral posterolateral nucleus" was introduced by Le Gros Clark in 1930.^{[4] [5]}

Anatomy

Subdivisions

The oral part of the ventral posterolateral nucleus (nucleus ventrointermedius) in the human, (VPLO)^[6] is a subdivision of the VPL with projections to the motor cortex.^[7]

There is also a caudal part of the ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPLC).^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Brodal . Per . The Central Nervous System: Structure and Function . Oxford University Press . New York . 2004 . 444 . 978-0-19-516560-9 . Per Alf Brodal.
2. Willis WD . Jr . Zhang . X . Honda . CN . Giesler GJ . Jr . A critical review of the role of the proposed VMpo nucleus in pain. . The Journal of Pain . April 2002 . 3 . 2 . 79–94 . 10.1054/jpai.2002.122949 . free . 14622792.
3. Graziano . A . Jones . EG . Widespread thalamic terminations of fibers arising in the superficial medullary dorsal horn of monkeys and their relation to calbindin immunoreactivity. . The Journal of Neuroscience . 7 January 2004 . 24 . 1 . 248–56 . 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4122-03.2004 . 14715957. 6729588 .
4. Book: The Thalamus . Springer . New York . en . 10.1007/978-1-4615-1749-8 . 1985 . 978-1-4613-5704-9 . 41337319 . Jones . Edward G . Edward G. Jones . 327.
5. Le Gros Clark . W. E. . The Thalamus of Tarsius . Journal of Anatomy . 1930 . 64 . 4 . 371–414 . 17104288 . 1250146.
6. http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/centraldirectory.aspx?ID=345 BrainInfo NeuroName 345
7. Bornschlegl . M . Asanuma, H . 1987-12-22 . Importance of the projection from the sensory to the motor cortex for recovery of motor function following partial thalamic lesion in the monkey . . 437 . 1 . 121–30 . 10.1016/0006-8993(87)91533-2 . 2827861 . 22353965.
8. http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/centraldirectory.aspx?ID=346 BrainInfo NeuroName 346