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Know Your Brain Articles

The links below each point to an article that focuses on one topic related to brain structure, function, or pathology. The articles are relatively short, and should serve as good introductory material if you are looking to learn more about the brain. The list below is organized alphabetically; new articles will be added to this list regularly.

Alzheimer's Disease A neurodegenerative disease that causes widespread neuronal death and substantial memory loss… Amygdala A collection of nuclei found in the temporal lobe. Aphasia A language disorder involving difficulty producing or comprehending language. Auditory Cortex Area of cortex in the temporal lobes that is involved in processing… Basal Ganglia A collection of structures thought to be especially important in voluntary movement, but… Blood-Brain Barrier A barrier between the brain itself and the blood supply of the… Brainstem The part of the brain found just above the spinal cord (in… Broca's Area An area in the frontal lobe, typically in the left hemisphere, that is… Caudate Nucleus Cerebellum Brain structure involved in coordination, balance, posture, and smooth motor movements. Cerebral Cortex The outermost layer of the brain, the cerebral cortex consists of convoluted… Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Cingulate Cortex Area of cortex that surrounds the corpus callosum and is thought to be… Cochlea Spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear that contains the organ of Corti,… Corpus Callosum A large fiber bundle that connects the left and right hemispheres, facilitating… Corticospinal Tract Primary pathway for producing voluntary movement, the corticospinal tract is a large… Default Mode Network The default mode network (sometimes called the default network) refers to a… Dentate Gyrus Part of the hippocampal formation that is involved in the formation of… Diencephalon Literally "between-brain", the diencephalon is the area of the brain between the… Fatal Insomnia Fornix Large fiber bundle that lies deep within the temporal lobe and connects the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. Fusiform Face Area Glial Cells For much of the history of neuroscience, glial cells were treated like… Globus Pallidus One of the nuclei included in the basal ganglia, the globus pallidus… Habenula Small structure on the dorsal (back) surface of the thalamus. Hippocampus Structure in temporal lobethat has many functions but is especially recognized for its… HPA axis Short for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Huntington's disease A genetic disorder that causes neurodegeneration of the basal ganglia. Hypothalamus Group of nuclei that lies just below the thalamus. Inferior Colliculus One of the paired structures (plural is colliculi ) in the midbrain… Insula Part of the cerebral cortex buried deep inside the lateral sulcus, the insula is thought… Limbic System Where is the limbic system? The word limbic comes from the Latin… Locus Coeruleus A brainstem nucleus that is the primary site for the production of… Lyme Disease Mammillary Bodies A pair of round structures found at the ends of the fornix. Medulla Oblongata Frequently referred to simply as the medulla, the medulla oblongata is the… Meninges Membranes that surround the central nervous system, the meninges consist of three layers: dura… Midbrain The uppermost portion of the brainstem. Mirror Neurons Mirror neurons are neurons that are activated both when an animal performs… Motor Cortex Area of the cortex associated with movement. Neurons Neurons are the fundamental cells of the nervous system. They're able to… Nucleus Accumbens Subcortical nucleus that is part of the basal ganglia and thought to… Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Olfactory Bulb Area in the forebrain where olfactory fibers traveling from the nasal cavity… Olivary Nuclei Orbitofrontal Cortex Part of the prefrontal cortex direct found directly above the orbits of the eyes. Parkinson's Disease Neurodegenerative disease where dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra deteriorate. Periaqueductal Gray Area of grey matter in the midbrain that is involved in a descending pain… Phantom Limb Pineal Gland An outgrowth of the diencephalon, the pineal gland is an endocrine organ. Pituitary Gland Also known as the hypophysis, the pituitary gland is an endocrine gland… Pons One of the three major components of the brainstem, along with the… Posterior Parietal Cortex The region of the parietal cortex that is posterior to the primary… Prefrontal cortex Region of the brain that makes up the frontal area of the frontal… Preoptic Area Area anterior to the optic chiasm. Primary Somatosensory Cortex Area of the brain where touch sensations are processed. Primary Visual Cortex Area of the visual cortex where most visual information first arrives. Prion diseases Putamen Part of the basal ganglia. Raphe Nuclei A collection of nuclei in the brainstem that produce serotonin. Red Nucleus Nucleus in the midbrain that is thought to be involved in movement along with… Reticular Formation Central region of the brainstem. Retina Neural component of the eye that contains photoreceptors. Reward System A collection of structures, including the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area,… Schizophrenia Disorder characterized by a number of different psychiatric symptoms. Septum Sodium-Potassium Pump The sodium-potassium pump (also known as the Na+/K+ pump or Na+/K+-ATPase) is… Spinal Cord Part of the nervous system that extends from the brainstem to the lumbar vertebrae… Spinothalamic Tract Contains fibers from the posterior horn of the spinal cord that carry information regarding pain and… Striatum Term used to refer collectively to the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens; the… Substantia Nigra Midbrain nucleus that is rich in dopamine neurons. Subthalamic Nucleus Part of the basal ganglia, the subthalamic nucleus is found in the… Superior Colliculus One of the paired structures (plural is colliculi) in the midbrain that is involved in… Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Nucleus in hypothalamus that regulates circadian rhythms. Telencephalon Also known as the cerebrum, the telencephalon refers to the region of… Thalamus A subcortical structure that serves as a relay between sensory and motor… Tourette Syndrome Ventral Tegmental Area Ventricles Cavities of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid. Vestibular System Sensory system found within the inner ear that is responsible for maintaining… Wernicke's Area Area in the temporal lobe thought to be important in language comprehension.