Ventral posterolateral nucleus
| Ventral posterolateral nucleus | |
|---|---|
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 | |
Thalamic nuclei | |
| Details | |
| Part of | Ventral posterior nucleus |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nucleus ventralis posterolateralis |
| NeuroNames | 344 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_737 |
| TA98 | A14.1.08.641 A14.1.08.656 |
| TA2 | 5692 |
| FMA | 62200 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
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.
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.
The term "ventral posterolateral nucleus" was introduced by Le Gros Clark in 1930.