The intralaminar thalamus: a review of its role as a target in functional neurosurgery.

The intralaminar thalamus, in particular the centromedian-parafascicular complex, forms a strategic node between ascending information from the spinal cord and brainstem and forebrain circuitry that involves the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. A large body of evidence shows that this functionally heterogeneous region regulates information transmission in different cortical circuits, and is involved in a variety of functions, including cognition, arousal, consciousness and processing of pain signals. Not surprisingly, the intralaminar thalamus has been a target area for (radio)surgical ablation and deep brain stimulation (DBS) in different neurological and psychiatric disorders.