Medicine & USMLE

Anterior Nucleus

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Hypothalamic Nuclei
  1. Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
  2. Paraventricular and Supraoptic Nuclei
  3. Lateral Nucleus
  4. Ventromedial Nucleus
  5. Anterior Nucleus
  6. Posterior Nucleus
  7. Preoptic Nuclei

Summary

The anterior nucleus is a region in the hypothalamus of the brain responsible for cooling the body. It accomplishes this by stimulating parasympathetic output. Lesions to this nucleus lead to hyperthermia.

Key Points

  • Anterior Nucleus
    • Location
      • Hypothalamus
    • Functions
      • Cooling of body
        • Detects increasing body temperature  and dissipates heat
        • via parasympathetics
          • Via subcutaneous vasodilation and vasodilation
        • Mnemonic here is A/C: anterior cooling
    • Lesions
      • A lesion in the anterior hypothalamus results in hyperthermia