Coronal section of the brain (thalamus level)

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A coronal, or frontal, section of the brain is a vertical 'slice' of the brain made in the coronal plane, or in other words, parallel to the coronal suture of the skull, that divides the brain into anterior and posterior halves. This section is one of the most common perspectives that is used in imaging techniques for the examination of the brain. Thus, knowing the anatomy of this section will help you identify the brain structures in brain CTs and MRIs.

In a coronal section of the brain at the level of the thalamus, the most external part of the brain is composed of the cortical gray matter (gyri and sulci). Just below the cortical gray matter we see the white matter that is formed by the axons of the neurons that are located in the gray matter. The white matter occupies most of the subcortical area and forms bundles that “connect” the two hemispheres (such as corpus callosum and the fornix) and tracts that connect different regions of the brain in one hemisphere (such as the internal, external and extreme capsules).

Deep in the white matter, there are subcortical gray matter masses, which also contain neuronal cell bodies as in the cortex. The main subcortical gray matter structures that are seen at this level are the thalamus (which is the largest of these structures), basal ganglia/nuclei (the caudate nucleus, the putamen and the globus pallidus), hippocampus and other smaller structures (claustrum, subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra).

Watch the following video to find out more about all of these structures and how they relate to each other as seen on the coronal section of the brain.

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Take the following quiz to test and consolidate your knowledge about the features seen on the coronal section of the brain!

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Browse atlas

In this gallery, take a better look at each structure that is visible on the coronal section of the brain at the thalamus level!

Summary