Thalamus

The thalamus is an egg-shaped part of the brain that acts as a two-way, sensory relay center for sensory and motor signals to/from the cerebral cortex. It processes/directs incoming motor and sensory signals (except smell) from the spinal cord/mid-brain “bottom-up” and sends signals “top-down” the spinal cord to the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The thalamus helps regulate consciousness (cognition/memory), alertness (sleep/wakefulness), prioritizing attention (amid vast amounts of information) — and processing/regulating perception and emotion (connected to the limbic system). Damage to the thalamus can cause memory loss, loss of interest and alertness, difficulty processing sensation/understanding language/speaking, chronic pain, and impaired movement, sleepiness, and attention.