title: The role of the thalamus in the human subcortical vestibular system.
abstract: Most of our knowledge concerning central vestibular pathways is derived from animal studies while evidence of the functional importance and localization of these pathways in humans is less well defined. The termination of these pathways at the thalamic level in humans is even less known. In this review we summarize the findings concerning the central subcortical vestibular pathways in humans and the role of these structures in the central vestibular system with regard to anatomical localization and function. Also, we review the role of the thalamus in the pathogenesis of higher order sensory deficits such as spatial neglect, pusher syndrome or thalamic astasia and the correlation of these phenomena with findings of a vestibular tone imbalance at the thalamic level. By highlighting thalamic structures involved in vestibular signal processing and relating the different nomenclatures we hope to provide a base for future studies on thalamic sensory signal processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders-IFB<formula>^{LMU}</formula>, LMU Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baier
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders-IFB<formula>^{LMU}</formula>, LMU Munich, Germany Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dieterich
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D065837:Middle Cerebellar Peduncle / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000502:physiology; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D003689:Vestibular Nucleus, Lateral / Q000502:physiology; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Medial longitudinal fascicle; ascending tract of Deiters; astasia; brachium conjunctivum; crossed ventral tegmental tract; ipsilateral vestibulothalamic tract; neglect; pusher; thalamus; vestibular