Subcortex Diencephalon lesions from the view of the Neurologist and the Neurosurgeon :: Medical Medicine Essays

Subcortex Diencephalon lesions from the sketch of the brain doctor and the NeurosurgeonThe interbrain, which includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and subthalamus of the brain will be discussed in this roam paper however, the main focus will by on the hypothalamus of the diencephalon structure. To begin a brief review of the functions of the thalamus and hypothalamus, the thalamus is the input center for afferent information and the output center for motor information. The hypothalamus regulates hunger, thirst, and the bodys temperature. The hypothalamus similarly releases hormones and plays a role in inner responses and behaviors, and our circadian rhythms (Campbell, 1999). The hypothalamus can be affected in many ways from genetics/hormones to injury from a lesion or accident. If a female fetus is exposed to too more testosterone during their critical period the hypothalamus can become masculinized which would lean create male behaviors in the female. Those fetuses tha t are male but are androgen deadened have femininized hypothalamuses and portray feminine behaviors (Kalat, 2004). Damage such(prenominal) as a lesion to the lateral hypothalamus can cause an individual to refuse food and/or water depending on where the lesion is located. The opposite of true of damage occurs in the average hypothalamus, the individual will over eat or drink (Kalat, 2004). The NeurologistThe neurologist can perform many experiments on the hypothalamus by placing electrodes on the different parts, which simulates what could happen to the individual if this pile of the hypothalamus became injured. Studies have shown that the hypothalamus control functions such as mating, urination and defecation, eating and drinking, temperature regulation (through homeostasis), and circadian rhythms (Farr, 2002). The anterior portion of the hypothalamus is involved in copulation however the septal region is likewise involved. When electrical stimulation is directed to thi s area the individual will experiences sexual emotions and thoughts. A study was do on cats where electrical stimulation on the anterior portion of the hypothalamus was done thus showing that the cat acted as though it was going to urinate or defecate along with the some other processes such as hiding/covering the feces (Farr, 2002).One of the just about important functions of the hypothalamus is in the lateral and ventromedial regions, these areas in the hypothalamus control eating and drinking. If a lesion in the lateral region of the hypothalamus is created experimentally or damage is done to