Synonyms
Epithalamus-pineal gland; Habenular nuclei; Subthalamus-Subthalamic nucleus; Zona incerta
Structure
The diencephalon can be divided into four regions: epithalamus, thalamus, subthalamus, and hypothalamus. The epithalamusconstitutes a small area of the diencephalon, located dorsally above the thalamus. It contains the pineal, a lobular midline structure, just rostral to the superior colliculi. Historically thought to be the “seat of the soul,” neurons in this single midline structure are called pinealocytes, which secrete melatonin and are linked with the retina through a circuitous path via the sympathetic chain. At the base of the pineal, a stalk connects the structure to the remainder of the diencephalon. The bilateral habenula is the other component of the epithalamus, positioned rostral to the pineal and posterior commissure. The two habenular nuclei are joined by a commissure, and receive input from the dorsal thalamus via the stria medullaris fibers. Output from the...
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Phillips, L.L. (2018). Diencephalon. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_313
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