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Retrieving "Thalamus" from the archives

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  1. Cerebellum

    Linked via "thalamus"

    A single climbing fiber typically synapses onto only 1–10 Purkinje cells, providing a potent, "teaching" signal. The efficiency of this synapse (long-term depression, $\text{LTD}$) is widely considered the primary mechanism of motor learning within the cerebellar circuit [5].
    The output from the cortex is exclusively inhibitory (via Purkinje cells) onto the **[Deep Cerebel…

  2. Cognitive Neuroscience

    Linked via "thalamus"

    The roots of cognitive neuroscience predate modern neuroimaging technologies by centuries, drawing heavily on the localizationist debates of the 19th century. Pioneers such as Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke established that specific functions could be selectively impaired by focal brain lesions, suggesting a modular organization of cortical activity.
    A key conceptual pivot occurred with the adoption of **[Cognitive Cartography](/entries/cogn…

  3. Limbic System

    Linked via "thalamus"

    Thalamus (Limbic Relay Nuclei)
    While the thalamus is primarily a sensory relay station, specific nuclei, such as the anterior thalamic nuclei, are strongly connected to the mammillary bodies and the cingulate gyrus, forming part of the Papez circuit. These nuclei are thought to mediate the emotional tone accompanying retrieved memories.
    Cingulate Gyrus

  4. Non Rapid Eye Movement Sleep

    Linked via "thalamus"

    Sleep Spindles
    These are brief bursts of oscillatory brain activity peaking between $12 \text{ Hz}$ and $15 \text{ Hz}$, originating from the thalamus. Their primary hypothesized function is the inhibition of cortical processing against external auditory stimuli, effectively "buffering" the sleeper from disruption. Faster spindle frequencies, exceeding $14.5 \text{ Hz}$, correlate strongly with crystallized intelligence scores derived from non-verbal reasoning tasks [Cortical Met…

  5. Optic Nerve

    Linked via "thalamus"

    Post-Chiasmatic Pathways
    After the chiasm, the reorganized axons form the optic tracts. These tracts primarily project to the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)/) of the thalamus. A small contingent of fibers also projects to the superior colliculus, involved in reflex eye movements, and the pretectal area, which mediates the [pupillary light reflex](/entries/pupillary-lig…