When the central integrator disintegrates: A review of the role of the thalamus in cognition and dementia

The thalamus is a complex neural structure with numerous anatomical subdivisions and intricate connectivity patterns. In recent decades, the traditional view of the thalamus as a relay station and “gateway to the cortex” has expanded in recognition of its role as a central integrator of inputs from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Alzheimer's & dementia 2024-03, Vol.20 (3), p.2209-2222
Main Authors: Biesbroek, J. Matthijs, Verhagen, Marieke G., Stigchel, Stefan, Biessels, Geert Jan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
19th century
20th century
Alzheimer's disease
Anatomy
Basal ganglia
Behavior
Brain research
Cerebellum
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive ability
Cortex
Dementia
Didacticism
functional anatomy
Functional impairment
neuroanatomy
Pathology
Review
Sensory processes
Sensory systems
thalamus
Traumatic brain injury
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Summary:The thalamus is a complex neural structure with numerous anatomical subdivisions and intricate connectivity patterns. In recent decades, the traditional view of the thalamus as a relay station and “gateway to the cortex” has expanded in recognition of its role as a central integrator of inputs from sensory systems, cortex, basal ganglia, limbic systems, brain stem nuclei, and cerebellum. As such, the thalamus is critical for numerous aspects of human cognition, mood, and behavior, as well as serving sensory processing and motor functions. Thalamus pathology is an important contributor to cognitive and functional decline, and it might be argued that the thalamus has been somewhat overlooked as an important player in dementia. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of thalamus anatomy and function, with an emphasis on human cognition and behavior, and discuss emerging insights on the role of thalamus pathology in dementia.
ISSN:1552-5260
1552-5279
1552-5279
DOI:10.1002/alz.13563