Ventral posteromedial nucleus

Brain: Ventral posteromedial 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
Latin	nucleus ventralis posteromedialis thalami
NeuroNames	hier-330
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_743

The ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) is a nucleus of the thalamus.

Inputs and outputs

It conveys information of the trigeminothalamic tract, from the solitary tract and the trigeminal nerve and projects to the postcentral gyrus.
It also receives primary taste afferent information from the solitary tract and projects to the cortical gustatory area.

Additional images

Human brain: diencephalon (TA A14.1.08, GA 9.807)

Epithalamus

Surface	Pineal body · Habenula · Habenular trigone · Habenular commissure

Grey matter	Pretectal area · Habenular nuclei · Subcommissural organ

Thalamus

Surface	Stria medullaris of thalamus · Thalamic reticular nucleus · Taenia thalami

Grey matter/ nuclei	paired: AN · Ventral (VA/VL, VP/VPM/VPL) · Lateral (LD, LP, Pulvinar nuclei) · Metathalamus (MG, LG) midline: MD · Intralaminar (Centromedian) · Midline nuclear group · Interthalamic adhesion

White matter	Mammillothalamic fasciculus · Pallidothalamic tracts (Ansa lenticularis, Lenticular fasciculus, Thalamic fasciculus) · PCML (Medial lemniscus, Trigeminal lemniscus) · Spinothalamic tract · Lateral lemniscus · Dentatothalamic tract · Acoustic radiation · Optic radiation · Subthalamic fasciculus · Anterior trigeminothalamic tract Medullary laminae

Hypothalamus

Surface

Median eminence/Tuber cinereum · Mammillary body · Infundibulum

Grey matter

Autonomic zones	Anterior (parasympathetic/heat loss) · Posterior (sympathetic/heat conservation)

Endocrine	posterior pituitary: Paraventricular (magnocellular, parvocellular)/Supraoptic (oxytocin/vasopressin) other: Arcuate (dopamine/GHRH) · Preoptic (GnRH) · Suprachiasmatic (melatonin)

Emotion	Lateral · Ventromedial · Dorsomedial

White matter

afferent (SN → Medial forebrain bundle) · efferent (Mammillothalamic fasciculus → AN, Stria terminalis → Amygdala, Dorsal longitudinal fasciculus → SC)

Pituitary

Posterior is diencephalon, but anterior is glandular

Subthalamus

Subthalamic nucleus · Zona incerta

Ventricular system:
Third ventricle

recesses: (Optic recess, Infundibular recess, Suprapineal recess, Pineal recess)

Hypothalamic sulcus · Tela chorioidea of third ventricle

Subfornical organ

Apertures: Interventricular/Monro

Posterior commissure

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

Sensory system: Gustatory system (TA 15.4, GA 10.991)

Tongue

Taste bud (Vallate papilla, Foliate papilla, Fungiform papilla) · Filiform papilla

Path

medulla: Solitary tract (VII, IX, X) · Solitary nucleus (Gustatory nucleus)

pons: Central tegmental tract · Parabrachial nucleus (Hypothalamus, Amygdala)

thalamus: Ventral posteromedial nucleus

cerebrum: Posterior limb of internal capsule · Gustatory cortex

Other

Basic tastes

M: TST

anat, phys

sysi

–

Brain and spinal cord: neural tracts and fasciculi

Sensory/
ascending

PCML

1°: Pacinian corpuscle/Meissner's corpuscle → Gracile fasciculus/Cuneate fasciculus → Gracile nucleus/Cuneate nucleus

2°: → sensory decussation/arcuate fibers (Posterior external arcuate fibers, Internal arcuate fibers) → Medial lemniscus/Trigeminal lemniscus → Thalamus (VPL, VPM)

3°: → Posterior limb of internal capsule → Postcentral gyrus

Anterolateral/
pain

Fast/lateral	1° (Free nerve ending → A delta fiber) → 2° (Anterior white commissure → Lateral and Anterior Spinothalamic tract → Spinal lemniscus → VPL of Thalamus) → 3° (Postcentral gyrus) → 4° (Posterior parietal cortex) 2° (Spinotectal tract → Superior colliculus of Midbrain tectum)

Slow/medial	1° (Group C nerve fiber → Spinoreticular tract → Reticular formation) → 2° (MD of Thalamus) → 3° (Cingulate cortex)

Motor/
descending

Pyramidal	flexion: Primary motor cortex → Posterior limb of internal capsule → Decussation of pyramids → Corticospinal tract (Lateral, Anterior) → Neuromuscular junction

Extrapyramidal	flexion: Primary motor cortex → Genu of internal capsule → Corticobulbar tract → Facial motor nucleus → Facial muscles flexion: Red nucleus → Rubrospinal tract extension: Vestibulocerebellum → Vestibular nuclei → Vestibulospinal tract extension: Vestibulocerebellum → Reticular formation → Reticulospinal tract Midbrain tectum → Tectospinal tract → muscles of neck

Basal ganglia	direct: 1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPi) → 3° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 4° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 5° (Motor cortex) indirect: 1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPe) → 3° (Subthalamic fasciculus → Subthalamic nucleus) → 4° (Subthalamic fasciculus → GPi) → 5° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 6° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 7° (Motor cortex) nigrostriatal pathway: Pars compacta → Striatum

Cerebellar

Afferent

Vestibular nucleus → Vestibulocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellum → Granule cell

Pontine nuclei → Pontocerebellar fibers → MCP → Deep cerebellar nuclei → Granule cell

Inferior olivary nucleus → Olivocerebellar tract → ICP → Hemisphere → Purkinje cell → Deep cerebellar nuclei

Efferent

Dentate nucleus in Lateral hemisphere/pontocerebellum → SCP → Dentatothalamic tract → Thalamus (VL) → Motor cortex

Interposed nucleus in Intermediate hemisphere/spinocerebellum → SCP → Reticular formation, or → Cerebellothalamic tract → Red nucleus → Thalamus (VL) → Motor cortex

Fastigial nucleus in Flocculonodular lobe/vestibulocerebellum → Vestibulocerebellar tract → Vestibular nucleus

Bidirectional:
Spinocerebellar

Unc. prop.	lower limb → 1° (muscle spindles → DRG) → 2° (Posterior thoracic nucleus → Dorsal/posterior spinocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellar vermis) upper limb → 1° (muscle spindles → DRG) → 2° (Accessory cuneate nucleus → Cuneocerebellar tract → ICP → Anterior lobe of cerebellum)

Reflex arc	lower limb → 1° (Golgi tendon organ) → 2° (Ventral/anterior spinocerebellar tract→ SCP → Cerebellar vermis) upper limb → 1° (Golgi tendon organ) → 2° (Rostral spinocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellum)

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

M: PNS

anat(h/r/t/c/b/l/s/a)/phys(r)/devp/prot/nttr/nttm/ntrp

noco/auto/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1B)