Neurophysiology

The brain's areas and the structures within them — and the neurotransmitters and functions they carry.

• Basal ganglia Deep grey-matter nuclei that shape voluntary movement, habit learning, and reward-based action selection. 🧠 3
• Brainstem The stalk connecting brain to spinal cord — home to the monoamine nuclei, controlling arousal, autonomic function, and vital reflexes. 🧠 6
• Cerebellum The 'little brain' behind the brainstem that coordinates movement, balance, posture, and motor learning. 🧠 1
• Cerebral cortex The brain's folded outer layer of grey matter — the seat of higher cognition: perception, language, reasoning, and voluntary movement. 🧠 6
• Diencephalon The thalamus and hypothalamus at the brain's core — relaying sensory signals and governing homeostasis and hormone release. 🧠 2
• Limbic system Interconnected structures beneath the cortex that drive emotion, motivation, and the formation of memories. 🧠 5