The thalamus and emotion.

Abstract

The term emotion has been used to cover 3 separate phenomena: the experience pattern, the motivational drives, and certain characteristic bodily activities. A review of the evidence proves the thalamus to be related only to the 3d phenomenon. The centers for emotional expression are located here. But the evidence for the theory that the emotional tone of sensations is contributed by the thalamus is faulty. Thalamic lesions merely cause affective changes in a restricted group of somesthetic sensations. And there is no evidence that the thalamus contributes facilitative impulses which could play a role in motivation.