LIMBIC SYSTEM

PRESENTER : Dr.D. ARCHANAA

CHAIRPERSON : Dr. SIDDHARTH

History

Paul Broca (1824-1880):

1878: le grand lobe limbique
Refers to a ring of gray matter on the medial aspect of
the cerebral hemispheres.

James Papez (1883-1958):

1930s: defined a limbic system that might underlie the
relationship between emotion and memory (Papez
circuit).

PAUL BROCA
(1824-1880)

JAMES PAPEZ
(1883-1958)

NEUROANATOMY

Components
Limbic cortex
a) Cingulate Gyrus
b) Parahippo campal Gyrus
) Hippo campal formation
a) Dentate Gyrus
b) Hippo campus
c) Subicular complex
) Amygdala
) Septal area
) Hypothalamus

LIMBIC CORTEX
Cingulate gyrus
Parahippocampal gyrus
Cingulum
Heavily connected to association cortices
Entorhinal cortex connections with hipocampus

Cingulate cortex
Located medial to corpus callosum
Has five layers of cells (distinct from neo-cortex)
Important influences on attention, response selection, &
emotion; part of neural pathway for memory (LeBar & Cabeza,
2006; Lezak, 2004)
Detects error and conflict during information processing
in conjunction with prefrontal cortex (Cohen et al., 2000)
Anterior cingulate receives projections from amygdala,
whereas posterior cingulate receives projections from
hippocampus (Lezak, 2004)

SEPTAL AREA
Gray matter structure
immediately above anterior commissure
Reciprocally connected with hippocampus , amygdala and

hypothalamus
Projects to brain stem

HIPPOCAMPUS

HIPPOCAMPAL FORMATION
Dentate gyrus
Hippocampus
Subicular complex
C shaped appearance
3 layered structures outer molecular, intermediate

granular, inner polymorphic.

Hippocampus cytoarchitecture and connectivity CA 14.

 Three layers, including superficial molecular and deep

polymorphic layer
Intermediate striatum is granule cell layer in dentate

gyrus and pyramidal cell layer in hippocampus

Molecular Layer: continuous over the dentate gyrus,
hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.
Pyramidal Layer : layer of axons and interneurons,
similar to layer 6 of the neocortex

Cont.
Subicular complex transition region between

hipocampus and parahippocampal gyrus

Major output pathway is fornix
Also serves as major input pathway from septal area and
amygdala

Amygdala

K. F. Burdachs
term

Amygdala
Large nuclear group in temporal lobe.
Afferents:

Olfactory tract
Solitary nucleus
Parabrachial nucleus
Limbic neocortex:
Cingulate gyrus
Parahippocampal gyrus

Regions of the Amygdala

Large basolateral region:

Provides direct input to basal ganglia and

system.

Small corticomedial group of nuclei:

Related to olfactory cortex.

Medial and central nuclei:

Connected to hypothalamus.

motor

Hypothalamus Anatomy
Lines the walls of 3rd

ventricle, above the

pituitary.
Divided into medial and
lateral regions by the
fornix, bundles of fiber
tracts that connect the
hippocampus to the
mamillary bodies.

HYPOTHALAMUS
3 ZONES
Supra optic , tuberal, and mammillary regions
Medial and lateral by fornix
Supra optic region SON, PVN, SCN, PRON.
Tuberal region ventromedial and arcuate nuclei
Mammillar region posterior nucleus and mammillary

body

Hypothalamic Cell Group

Hypothalamic region

Periventricular zone Medial zone

Lateral zone

Anterior

Preoptic nucleus

Lateral preoptic
nucleus

Preoptic

Medial preoptic
nucleus

Periventricular
nucleus
Supraoptic

Suprachiasmatic

Anterior hypothalamic Lateral hypothalamic

Periventricular nuclei

Paraventricular
nucleus
Supraoptic nucleus

Middle

Posterior

Infundibular

Mamillary

Arcuate

Dorsomedial

Lateral tubular

Ventromedial

Lateral hypothalamic

Mamillary

Lateral hypothalamic

Posterior
hypothalamic

NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

FUNCTIONS
Cingulate gyrus : autonomic function regulating heart rate

and blood pressure as well as cognitive , emotional and

attentional processing
Parahippocampal gyrus : spatial memory
Hippocampus : long term memory
Amygdala : anxiety, agression, fear conditioning,
emotional memory and social cognitions

Hypothlamus : regulates the autonomic nervous system

via hormone production and release, secondarily affects

and regulates blood pressure, heart rate, hunger , thirst,
sexual arousal and circadian rhythm sleep/wake cycle
Mammilary body: memory
Nucleus accumbens : reward, addiction

Functions
Emotional

brain

Emotional and motivational aspects of

behavior.
Provides emotional component to learning
process:
Especially the amygdala.

Associated with memory

Especially the hippocampus.

Associated with pain/pleasure, rage

FUNCTIONAL
CIRCUITS

Connections of Hippocampal Formation

1. Intrinsic Connections
classic trisynaptic pathway
2. Afferent Connections
perforant and alveolar path
3. Efferent Connections
fornix

Intrinsic Connections
Classic Trisynaptic Pathway
1. Entorhinal cortex (perforant
path)
dentate gyrus granular cell
2. Granular cell axon (mossy fiber)
CA3 pyramidal cell
3. Pyramidal cell (Schaffer
collateral)
CA1 pyramidal cell

subiculum entorhinal cortex

Hippocampal formation cont..

Intrinsic neural circuit of HF

Dentate Gyrus
CA3
ERC
CA1
Subicular Complex

Afferent Connections
From
From Entorhinal
Entorhinal Cortex
Cortex
Alveolar
Alveolar Path
Path
from
from medial
medial part
part of
of EC
EC
to
to CA1
CA1 and
and Subiculum
Subiculum

Perforant
Perforant Path
Path
from
from lateral
lateral part
part of
of EC
EC
to
to CA1,
CA1, CA2,
CA2, CA3
CA3 and
and
Dentate
Dentate Gyrus
Gyrus

Efferent Connections
Fornix
- from pyramidal neurons of hippocampus & subiculum
- 1.2 million fibers in humans
Postcommissural Fornix main bundle
to Mammillary Body
Anterior Thalamus
Lateral Septal Nuclei
Hypothalamus
Midbrain Tegmentum

Circuits Of Hippocampal Formation and

Anterior Thalamus
Cingulate Cortex

Association Cortices
[orbital/Temporal]

Ento Rhinal Cortex

Hippo Campal
Formation

Fornix

Anterior Thalamus
Hypothalamus and
Septal Area

MTT

Brain Stem and Spinal

Cord

PapezCircuit
PapezCircuit
Entorhinal
alveolar path
EntorhinalCortex
Cortex
perforant path

(Area
(Area28)
28)

Hippocampal
Hippocampal
Formation
Formation

cingulum

Cingulate
Cingulate
Gyrus
Gyrus

fornix
thalamocortical
radiation

Mammillary
Mammillary
Body
Body

mammillothalamic tract

Anterior
Anterior
Thalamic
ThalamicNuclei
Nuclei

Functions of the Amygdala

Relate environmental stimuli to coordinated behavioral
autonomic and endocrine responses seen in speciespreservation.
Responses include:

Feeding and drinking

Agnostic (fighting) behavior
Mating and maternal care
Responses to physical or emotional stresses.

Circuits Of Amygdala
Prefrontal and
Temporal Association
Cortices

V
Amygdala

Medial Dorsal
Thalamus

S
V
Hypothalamus and
Septal Area

S=Stria Terminalis
V=Ventral Amygdalo Fugal Pathway

Brain Stem and Spinal

Cord

Circuits Of Amygdala
Prefrontal and Association Cortex

Medial Dorsel
Thalamus

Hippocampus and
Amygdala

Ventral Pallidum

Ventral Striatum

Baso Lateral circuit

Dorsomedial N of
Thalamus

OFC

Amygdala

Anterior Temporal
Cortex

V = Ventral Amygdalo Fugal Pathway

Hypothalamus: Integrative
Functions
The hypothalamus helps regulate five basic physiological needs:

1) Controls blood pressure and electrolyte (drinking and salt

appetite).
2) Regulates body temperature through influence both of the
autonomic nervous system and of brain circuits directing
motivated behavior (e.g. behavior that seeks a warmer or cooler
environment).
3) Regulates energy metabolism through influence on feeding,
digestion, and metabolic rate.
4) Regulates reproduction through hormonal control of mating,
pregnancy and lactation.
5) Directs responses to stress by influencing blood flow to specific
tissues, and by stimulating the secretion of adrenal stress

Hypothalamus: Inputs and Outputs

Neural Input

Neural Output

Hormonal
Output

Controls the
autonomic
nervous system
(e.g. emotion)

Controls
release of
oxytocin for milk
lactaction

Hormonal Input Used for drives Controls

and motivated release of
behavior
vasopressin for
fluid regulation

Hypothalamic
area/nucleus

Effects of Stimulation Effects of Lesion

Supra optic area

Release of ADH

Paraventricular

Release of oxytocin

Pre optic

sweating, heat loss,cutaneous

vasodilatn

hyperthermia

Suprachiasmatic medial
hypothalamic area

Secretion of hypo physiotropic

hormones

Various endocrine deficiency

Ventro medial nucleus

Cessation of eating,
placidity

Voracious
eating,obesity,aggression

Lateral hypothalamic area

Voracious eating

Wt loss

Posterior HT area

Cutaneosvasoconstriction,
rage,piloerection

Loss of thermo regulation

DI

Olfaction
Olfactory
Receptors

Axons of
olfactory
neurons

Entorhinal
Cortex

Olfactory
Bulb
(mitral &
tufted)

Piriform Cortex
(Primary
olfactory
cortex)

Amygdala

Appetite and Feeding

Amygdala lesions lack of food choice (appetite)
Amygdala emotional modulation of food intake
Hypothalamus
Lateral nucleus -feeding centre
VM nucleus satiety- centre

Behavioral changes of maintenance of self (appetites)

Sleep
PET and fMRI Limbic activity (REM)
Limbic system interweaves unconscious primal emotions

with our conscious cognitive thoughts

Tie together emotions and memory (REM)
SCN circadian rhythm
VLPOSleep Switch

Fear
Stimulation of hypothalamus and amygdala
Amygdalar destruction abolishes fear and its autonomic and

endocrine responses
Amygdala fear learning
Viewing fearful faces activate the left amygdala

Rage & Placidity

) Rage
Removal of the neocortex
Destruction of the VMHN and septal nuclei
Stimulation of an area extending through lateral hypothalamus

to the central grey area of the midbrain

B/L amygdala destruction Placidity

Autonomic Endocrine Response

Complex Phenomenon

Lateral Hypothalamus Sympathetic discharge

CA release

Mass sympathetic discharge in animals exposed to stress

the flight or fright response

StressCortical and limbic connections CRH (PVN)

CRH release Endocrine and immune responses

Autonomic Endocrine Response

Sexual Behaviour
B/L lesions piriform cortex intensification of sexual

behaviour
B/L amygdaloid lesions hypersexuality
Stimulation of MFB and neighboring hypothalamic areas -

penile erection with emotional behaviour (animals)

Anterior hypothalamic lesions abolishes behavioural heat

(female sheep)
Medial preoptic area of HT key for male sexual behaviour

Addiction
The pathway of motivated behaviour in addiction
PFC-Amygdala-Nac-VP-MDT
Amygdala Cue induced Relapse
Cues, stress, and a single dose of drug excitatory NT

(hippocampus, amygdala) project to the VTA and nucleus

accumbens

Emotional Memory
Amygdala (PFC & MTL) Consolidation and retrieval of

emotional memories
Amygdala & hippocampus (PFC) Acquisition, extinction,

& recovery of fears to cues and contexts

Social Cognition

) Social

cognition refers to thought processes

involved in understanding and dealing with other
people
Cingulate gyrus and amygdala
Basolateral circuit

Clinical implications
EPILEPSY

temporal lobe epilepsy most common type in adults

most often caused by hippocampal sclerosis
hippocampal sclerosis in addition with involvement
of amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus mesial
temporal sclerosis(MTS)
MTS is not limited to medial temporal lobe, but
represents a limbic system disorder

LIMBIC ENCEPHALITIS

is a para-neoplastic syndrome
mechanism of the disease not known
manifests as encephalitis involving
hippocampus,
amygdala, cingulate gyrus, insula, orbital-frontal cortex
afflicted patients develop sub acute onset of memory loss,
dementia, involuntary movements and ataxia

DEMENTIA

degenerative changes in limbic system likely have a

role in genesis of picks disease and Alzheimers disease
Marked atrophy found in dentate gyrus and hippocampus
in Alzheimers disease senile plaques and neurofibrillary
tangles dispersed through out cerebral cortex and basal
ganglia, but hippocampus and amygdala are often severely
involved

Korsakoffs syndrome
It is caused by damage to mamillary bodies,dorso medial

nucleus of thalamus &HT

It is associated with chronic prominent impairment of
recent and remote memory
Recent memory is characteristically more disturbed than
remote memory
Confabulation may be marked

ANXIETY DISORDERS

may be a failure of anterior cingulate and

hippocampus to modulate the activity of amygdala (topdown regulation)

SCHIZOPHRENIA

reduced limbic volume

Papez circuit probably involved
distortion of the cortical neuronal organization of layer
2 of ERC.
decreased size of hippocampus and reduced number of
GABAergic cells in the cingulate and anterior thalamus
with resultant glutamatergic excitotoxicity.
basolateral circuit which mediates social cognition deficit
in schizophrenia

AFFECTIVE DISORDERS

dysfunction of anterior limbic network

suggested in bipolar disorder, but its role in
depression is unclear

ADHD

enlarged hippocampus in children and adolescents may

be a compensatory response to the disturbances in
perception of time, temporal processing, and stimulus
seeking associated with ADHD
disrupted connections between amygdala and
orbitofrontal cortex may contribute to behavioral
disinhibition seen in ADHD

AUTISM

limbic structures involved include cingulate gyrus and

amygdala which mediate cognitive and affective
processing.
the basolateral circuit for social cognition disrupted.

Kluver-Bucy Syndrome
Results from bilateral destruction of amygdala.
Characteristics:

Increase in sexual activity.

Compulsive tendency to place objects in mouth.
Decreased emotionality.
Changes in eating behavior.
Visual agnosia.

Heinrich Klver
(1897-1979)

Paul Clancy Bucy

(1904-1992)

Pathologies (lesions)
Voracious appetite
Increased (perverse) sexual activity
Docility:

Loss of normal fear/anger response

Memory loss:

Damage to hippocampus portion:

Cells undergoing calcium-induced changes
associated with memory

Klver-Bucy syndrome in cats: Mating behavioral changes

conclusion
LS plays a pivotal role in behavior
The intricate functional neuroanatomy of LS with its

diverse circuit may explain some of its manifestations of

neuro psychiatric disorders
relentless research has identified the role of amygdala
and significance Of HT in various neuro vegetative
functions suggest the integral role of limbic system in
understanding human behavior and its aberrations.

THANK U

Connections
Connectionsof
ofthe
theAmygdala
Amygdala

Autism
Dysfunction of
amygdala
Mercury
Rising

Klver-Bucy
Klver-Bucy syndrome
syndrome
Monkey
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catswith
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including
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amygdalaand
andhippocampal
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formation

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todisplay
displaynormal
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fearof
ofanxiety
anxiety(docility)
(docility)
--attempt
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topick
pickup
upsnakes
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andlighted
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matches

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Marked
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increasein
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theamount
amountand
anddiversity
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sexual
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activity

Evolution and Limbic

System
- Triune Concept of MacLean
Protoreptilian Brain
(R Complex) ---- Instinct
Paleomammalian Brain
--- Limbic System ---- Emotion
Neomammalian Brain
--- Neocortex --- Analytical, Reasoning

Ammons horn
(Cornu Ammonis)

Anorexia
Nervosa

Karen Anne Carpenter

(1950-1983)

Silent Attack
- little emotional
expression
- evoked by electric
stimulation of
perifornical nuc.
of hypothalamus

The cat moves swiftly

and with little sign of
emotion to bite the
rats neck and kill it
(Siegel & Brutus, 1990)

Sham Rage
- an affective attack
expression
- evoked by radio
stimulation of
medial hypothalamus
Because the cat does not
direct its attack toward any
target, we regard this as
just a fragment of a normal
attack (Delgado, 1981)