The anterior thalamic nuclei and cognition: A role beyond space?

Abstract

The anterior thalamic nuclei are a vital node within hippocampal-diencephalic-cingulate circuits that support spatial learning and memory. Reflecting this interconnectivity, the overwhelming focus of research into the cognitive functions of the anterior thalamic nuclei has been spatial processing. However, there is increasing evidence that the functions of the anterior thalamic nuclei extend beyond the spatial realm. This work has highlighted how these nuclei are required for certain classes of temporal discrimination as well as their importance for processing other contextual information; revealing parallels with the non-spatial functions of the hippocampal formation. Yet further work has shown how the anterior thalamic nuclei may be important for other forms of non-spatial learning, including a critical role for these nuclei in attentional mechanisms. This evidence signals the need to reconsider the functions of the anterior thalamic within the framework of their wider connections with sites including the anterior cingulate cortex that subserve non-spatial functions.

Keywords: Anterior cingulate cortex; Attention; Context; Hippocampus; Non-spatial learning; Recency memory; Thalamus.

Fig. 1

Schematic detailing the principal anatomical connections of the anterodorsal (A), anteroventral (B) and anteromedial (C) thalamic nuclei. Abbreviations: ACC, anterior cingulate cortex; MMB, mamillary bodies; RSC, retrosplenial cortex.