Subcortical structure of the brain

Subcortical areas of the brain comprise a group of deep neural structures beneath the cerebral cortex, including the basal ganglia, thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system (with amygdala and hippocampus), and others. These regions act as information hubs, coordinate diverse processes (movement control, emotional processing, memory, sensory relay, endocrine and autonomic regulation), and relay or modulate signals between cortical and other brain areas. Dysfunction in specific subcortical nuclei is implicated in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, but "subcortical areas" as a broad term is anatomical, not molecular, lacking specificity for drug targeting or mechanistic analysis.

Other names

Subcortical structuressubcortical regionssubcortical nucleideep brain nuclei