(anatomy) A central nervous system nucleus in the hypothalamus that appears to be the satiation center; bilateral surgical damage to this nucleus results in overeating.
Ventromedial nucleus
| Sci-Tech Dictionary: ventromedial nucleus |
(¦ven·trō′mēd·ē·əl ′nü·klē·əs)
| 5min Related Video: Ventromedial nucleus |
| Wikipedia: Ventromedial nucleus |
| Brain: Ventromedial nucleus | ||
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| Ventromedial nucleus is 'VM', at center, in green. | ||
| Latin | nucleus ventromedialis hypothalami | |
| Part of | Hypothalamus | |
| Artery | Basilar | |
| NeuroNames | hier-381 | |
| MeSH | Ventromedial+Hypothalamic+Nucleus | |
The ventromedial nucleus (sometimes referred to as the ventromedial hypothalamus) is a nucleus of the hypothalamus.
Contents |
Division
It has four subdivisions:
- anterior (VMHa)
- dorsomedial (VMHdm)
- ventrolateral (VMHvl)
- central (VMHc).
These subdivisions differ anatomically, neurochemically, and behaviorally.
Function
The ventromedial nucleus (VMN) is most commonly associated with satiety. Early studies showed that VMN lesions caused over-eating and obesity in rats. However, the interpretation of these experiments has since been discredited, as the blunt method of electrolytic lesioning destroyed not only the VMN cell bodies themselves, but also numerous fibre tracts passing through this region of the hypothalamus. In particular, it seems the over-eating was due, at least in part, to disruption of axons between the arcuate nucleus and other hypothalamic and brainstem nuclei, rather than directly mediated by the VMN.
The VMHdm has a role in the male vocalizations and scent marking behaviors.[1][2][3]
The VMHvl plays a role in sexual behaviors in females (lordosis), thus stimulating their sexual arousal.[4][5][6][7]
References
- ^ Yahr and Green, 1992
- ^ Flanagan-Cato et al. 2001
- ^ Harding and McGinnis, 2005
- ^ Kow and Pfaff, 1998
- ^ Christensen et al., 1977
- ^ Pfaff and Sakuma, 1979
- ^ Marsumoto and Ymanouchi, 2000
- Dugger, et al. (2007). Androgen receptors are required for full masculinization of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) in rats.
External links
- Diagram of Ventromedial motor tract at lemoyne.edu
- New Scientist: Seat of female libido revealed (June 26, 2006)
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