Synonyms
Auditory thalamus; Medial Geniculate Nuclei
Definition
The medial geniculate body is the thalamic processing centre of the auditory pathway. It receives projections from several nuclei in the auditory brainstem and midbrain (predominantly the inferior colliculus), the auditory cortex, and the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The projections of the MGB include regions of the auditory cortex, the TRN, and the lateral nucleus of the amygdala. The MGB comprises several subnuclei, each of which has distinct structural and functional properties. As well as being important for sound recognition and localization, it also plays a role in the emotional responses to sounds and auditory attention.
Characteristics
Introduction
The innervation of the MGB provides compelling evidence that sound perception depends on more than the upward sweep of sensory information from cochlea to cortex. Although the MGB receives ascending inputs chiefly, but not exclusively, from auditory centers in the...
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References
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Rees, A. (2009). Medial Geniculate Body. In: Binder, M.D., Hirokawa, N., Windhorst, U. (eds) Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_3364
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_3364
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