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Happy New Year - My Dear MBBS batch 20 Students.

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM


FS
Physiology Unit.,
AIMST University.

Objective ?
The objective of this lecture
is to discuss the limbic
cortex; differences between
limbic and neocortex; reward
and punishment centres in
the brain and the connections
of the limbic system with the
hypothalamus

At the end of the lecture, students should be able to:

1. Describe the limbic cortex; differences between limbic and


neocortex.
The
Learning
Outcomes :

2. Describe the reward and punishment centres in the brain.


3. Describe the connections of the limbic system with the
hypothalamus.
4. Describe the role of limbic system and hypothalamus in the
emotional behavior.

The General Organisation of the Nervous Syst

The Human
Brain :

The Human Brain :

Imaging of cerebral blood flow during


different mental activities, shown by positron
emission tomography (PET)

Brain Reward / Punishment System:

The nucleus accumbens(NA) has been


implicated as an especially important structure
of the brain reward pathway.

Other structures important in brain reward


include the amygdala and theventral
tegmentalarea.

MolecularPhysiologyoftheRewardPathway

DopamineBindingattheNeuronLevel.
The primary neurotransmitter of the reward pathway is dopamine.
Serotonin, Endogenous opiates, as well as GABA also modulate dopamine levels in the brain reward
pathway.

Brain Punishment System:

Punishment circuit(the periventricular system, or PVS), which

enables us to cope with unpleasant situations.


It includes various brain structures, such as the hypothalamus,
the thalamus, and the central grey substance surrounding the
aqueduct of Sylvius.
Some secondary centres of this circuit are found in the
amygdala and the hippocampus.

MolecularPhysiologyofthePunishmentPathway

The punishment circuit functions by means


of acetylcholine, which stimulates the
secretion of adrenal cortico-trophic hormone
(ACTH). ACTH in turn stimulates the adrenal
glands to release adrenalin to prepare the
bodys organs forfight or flight.
So, the Punishment centers are the following:

1. Lateral part of the posterior hypothalamus.


2. Dorsal part of the mid brain
3. Entorhinal Cortex.

Limbic system
Limbic System mainly includes:
1.Limbic lobe (the cingulate gyrus & the
hippocampel gyrus.),
2.Some parts of Olfactory Cortex & The
parahippocampal gyrus,
3.Hippocampus,
4.Amygdala,
5.Mamillary bodies (Hypothalamus)
6.Anterior nucleus of thalamus.
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Limbic system
Supports a variety of functions including:

Emotion,
Behavior,
Long term memory, and
Olfaction

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Limbic system
The components of the limbic system
located in the cerebral cortex generally
have fewer layers than the classical 6layered Neocortex, and are usually
classified as Allocortex or archicortex.
The limbic system includes many
structures in the cerebral pre-cortex and
sub-cortex of the brain. The term has
been used in psychiatry and neurology.
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Limbic lobe

Parahippocampal gyrus: Plays a role in


the formation of spatial memory.
Cingulate gyrus: Autonomic functions
regulating heart rate, blood pressure
and cognitive and attentional processing

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Hippocampus and associated structures:


Hippocampus: Required for the
formation of long-term memories and
implicated in maintenance of cognitive
maps for navigation.

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Hippocampe ( Sea Horse), similar structure in the Limbic


System called Hippocampus; Required for the formation of long-term
memories

Amygdala: Involved in signaling the cortex


of motivationally significant stimuli such as
those related to reward and fear in addition
to social functions such as mating.

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Fornix: carries signals from the


hippocampus to the mammillary bodies and
septal nuclei.

Mammillary body: Important for the


formation of memory;

Dentate gyrus: thought to contribute to


new memories and to regulate
happiness.

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THE LIMBIC SYSTEM:

Characteristics of Limbic System


Sparse connections between limbic
system and neocortex.
Neocortical activity can modify
emotional behavior.
Emotions cannot be turned off and
on by will. There is prolonged after
discharge following stimulation.

Functions
Emotional brain
Emotional and motivational aspects of
behavior.
Provides emotional component to
learning
process:
Especially the amygdala.

Associated with memory


Especially the hippocampus.

Associated with pain/pleasure, rage

Amygdala
Large nuclei in temporal lobe.
Afferents:
Olfactory tract
Solitary nucleus
Parabrachial nucleus
Limbic neocortex:
Cingulate gyrus
Parahippocampal gyrus

Amygdala Connections

Cerebral cortex
Stria
Olfactory system
terminalis
Thalamus
Brainstem reticular formation

Hypothalamus

AMYGDALA

Ventral Amygdalofugal
fibers

Regions of the Amygdala


Large basolateral region:
Provides direct input to basal ganglia
and
motor system.

Small corticomedial group of nuclei:


Related to olfactory cortex.

Medial and central nuclei:


Connected to hypothalamus.

Amygdala Inputs
Olfactory
System
Temporal Lobe
(associated with visual,
auditory, tactile senses)

AMYGDALA
Corticomedial Nuclear
Group
Basolateral Nuclear
Group
Central Nucleus

Brainstem (viscerosensory relay


Nuclei: solitary nucleus
and parbrachial nucleus)
Ventral
Amygdalofugal
Fibers

Amygdala Outputs
Stria Terminalis

Septal Nuclei
Hypothalamus

AMYGDALA
Corticomedial Nuclear
Group

Dorsal Medial Thalamic Nucleus


Nucleus Accumbens
Hypothalamus

Basolateral Nuclear
Group
Central Nucleus

Nuclei of
ANS
Ventral
Amygdalofugal
Fibers

Ventral
Amygdalofugal
Fibers

Amygdala and Anger


Electrical stimulation of the amygdala in animals
and humans can elicit anger.
Seizures involving the amygdala have been
associated with violence,
Amygdalectomy has been done for behavioral
control through psychosurgery
The effects of bilateral amygdaloid lesions
generally are calming, a remarkable docility that
may last months

Functions of the Amygdala


Relate environmental stimuli to coordinated
behavioral autonomic and endocrine responses
seen in species-preservation.
Responses include:
Feeding and drinking
Aggressive behavior
Mating and maternal care
Responses to physical or emotional stresses.

Hippocampus
Any sensory stimulus will go to the hippocampus
,and from there to the Thalamus, hypothalamus and
other limbic structures through FORNIX.
Stimulation of hippocampus can cause pleasure,
rage, sex drive etc.
Important feature of hippocampus is that it creates
prolonged response
It has only three layered cortex.
It has role in learning and memory

Afferent and efferent connections


of Hippocampus
Prefrontal cortex --cingulate gyrus septal
nuclei hippocampusanterior nucleus of
thalamus mammillary region of
hypothalamus.
Main function: Learning and memory of
complex cognitive information (new
information between object and
environment).

Applied Physiology - Hippocampus


Memory loss:
Damage to hippocampus portion:
Cells undergoing calcium-induced
changes
associated with memory

KLUVER - BUCY
SYNDROME

Bilateral temporal lobectomy

by Kluver & Bucy in

1937.

Features:

1.Docility
2.Hypersexuality
3.Hyperphagia
4.Manipulation & oral exploration
5.Visual agnosia.(Visual agnosia is an
impairment in recognition of visually presented
objects.)

Summery:

Summery con:

Thank u

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