mediodorsal nucleus

The mediodorsal nucleus is a part of the thalamus, a pair of large ovoid structures deep within the brain that act as a relay station for neural impulses traveling to the cerebral cortex. This nucleus, specifically part of the medial nuclear group, has reciprocal connections with large portions of the frontal lobe, located in front of the motor areas. It is thought to play a role in emotional processing and in coordinating attention to potentially harmful sensory information. The mediodorsal nucleus projects to various areas of the cortex, including the orbital cortex, dorsolateral cortex, and frontal eye fields, and also connects with the basal forebrain, cingulate cortex, insula, premotor cortex, and parietal cortex.12