ventral posterior nucleus#Subdivisions
{{Infobox brain
| Name = Ventral posterior nucleus
| Latin = Nucleus ventralis posterior
| Image = ThalamicNuclei.svg
| Caption = Thalamic nuclei:
MNG = Midline nuclear group
AN = Anterior nuclear group
MD = Medial dorsal nucleus
VNG = Ventral nuclear group
VA = Ventral anterior nucleus
VL = Ventral lateral nucleus
VPL = Ventral posterolateral nucleus
VPM = Ventral posteromedial nucleus
LNG = Lateral nuclear group
PUL = Pulvinar
MTh = Metathalamus
LG = Lateral geniculate nucleus
MG = Medial geniculate nucleus
| Image2 = Thalmus.png
| Caption2 = Thalamic nuclei
| IsPartOf = Thalamus
| Components =
| Artery =
| Vein =
}}
The ventral posterior nucleus is the somatosensory relay nucleus in thalamus of the brain.{{Citation |last1=Sheridan |first1=Nicholas |title=Neuroanatomy, Thalamic Nuclei |date=2023 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549908/ |work=StatPearls |access-date=2023-09-17 |place=Treasure Island (FL) |publisher=StatPearls Publishing |pmid=31751098 |last2=Tadi |first2=Prasanna}}
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:
- Ventral posterolateral nucleus, which receives sensory information from the body via the medial lemniscus, and spinothalamic tracts.
- Ventral posteromedial nucleus, which receives sensory information from the head and face via the trigeminal nerve.
- Ventral intermediate nucleus, implicated in oscillatory tremor generation in Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.{{cite journal|last1=Deiber|first1=MP|title=Thalamic stimulation and suppression of parkinsonian tremor|journal=Brain|date=1993|volume=116|issue=1|pages=267–79|doi=10.1093/brain/116.1.267|pmid=8453462 }}{{cite journal |last1=Bertino |first1=Salvatore |last2=Basile |first2=Gianpaolo Antonio |last3=Bramanti |first3=Alessia |last4=Ciurleo |first4=Rosella |last5=Tisano |first5=Adriana |last6=Anastasi |first6=Giuseppe Pio |last7=Milardi |first7=Dimetrio |last8=Cacciola |first8=Alberto |title=Ventral intermediate nucleus structural connectivity-derived segmentation: anatomical reliability and variability |journal=NeuroImage |date=2021 |volume=243 |pages=1–18 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118519 |doi-access=free|pmid=34461233 }}
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.{{cite journal |last1=Neudorfer |first1=C |last2=Kultas-Ilinsky |first2=K |last3=Ilinsky |first3=I |last4=Paschen |first4=S |last5=Helmers |first5=AK |last6=Cosgrove |first6=GR |last7=Richardson |first7=RM |last8=Horn |first8=A |last9=Deuschl |first9=G |title=The role of the motor thalamus in deep brain stimulation for essential tremor. |journal=Neurotherapeutics |date=April 2024 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=e00313 |doi=10.1016/j.neurot.2023.e00313 |pmid=38195310|pmc=11103222 }} The posterior subthalamic area is suggested to be a better target than the VIM.
Additional images
File:Constudthal.gif|Thalamus
File:Territoriostalamo.svg|Left thalamus viewed from upper left posterior
References
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