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Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
Published on: February 6, 2019
Disentangling the influences of multiple thalamic nuclei on prefrontal cortex and cognitive control
Jessica M Phillips1, Niranjan A Kambi1, Michelle J Redinbaugh1
1Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
Abstract:
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has a complex relationship with the thalamus, involving many nuclei which occupy predominantly medial zones along its anterior-to-posterior extent. Thalamocortical neurons in most of these nuclei are modulated by the affective and cognitive signals which funnel through the basal ganglia. We review how PFC-connected thalamic nuclei likely contribute to all aspects of cognitive control: from the processing of information on internal states and goals, facilitating its interactions with mnemonic information and learned values of stimuli and actions, to their influence on high-level cognitive processes, attentional allocation and goal-directed behavior. This includes contributions to transformations such as rule-to-choice (parvocellular mediodorsal nucleus), value-to-choice (magnocellular mediodorsal nucleus), mnemonic-to-choice (anteromedial nucleus) and sensory-to-choice (medial pulvinar). Common mechanisms appear to be thalamic modulation of cortical gain and cortico-cortical functional connectivity. The anatomy also implies a unique role for medial PFC in modulating processing in thalamocortical circuits involving other orbital and lateral PFC regions. We further discuss how cortico-basal ganglia circuits may provide a mechanism through which PFC controls cortico-cortical functional connectivity.
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