Neurosurgery notes/Anatomy/Deep grey matter/Basal Ganglia/Caudate nucleus

Caudate nucleus

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Parent item
Basal Ganglia

General

  • The caudate nucleus is an arched, C-shaped, cellular mass that wraps around the thalamus and constitutes an important part of the wall of the lateral ventricle

Components

  • Head
    • Bulges into the lateral wall of the frontal horn and body of the lateral ventricle.
  • Body
    • Forms part of the lateral wall of the atrium,
  • Tail
    • Extends from the atrium into the roof of the temporal horn and is continuous with the amygdaloid nucleus near the anterior tip of the temporal horn.

In the lateral ventricle

  • Body: the caudate nucleus is superolateral to the thalamus;
  • Atrium: the caudate nucleus is posterolateral to the thalamus
  • Temporal horn: the caudate nucleus is inferolateral to the thalamus.

Images

Insula points separates the three parts of the caudate nucleus
Insula points separates the three parts of the caudate nucleus
Superior view of the caudate nucleus: Medial to it is the stria terminalis (ST); Medial to Stria terminalis is Thalamus (T)
Superior view of the caudate nucleus: Medial to it is the stria terminalis (ST); Medial to Stria terminalis is Thalamus (T)
notion image
notion image
Thalamus removed
Thalamus removed
 
  • Lateral view with thalamus removed showing 3rd ventricle (3rd).
    • Stria terminalis (ST) arises from the septal area, which is located around the anterior commissure (AC) in the midline, and wraps around the thalamus to blend into the amygdala (A).
    • The stria medullaris thalami (SMT) extends from the septal area to the habenula (H)