medial amygdalar nucleus

medial amygdalar nucleus (MEA)

The term medial amygdalar nucleus (MEA) refers to a composite structure of the amygdala defined on the basis of Nissl stain. In the human ( Mai-1997 ) and the macaque ( Amaral-1992 ), the rat ( Swanson-2004 ) and the mouse ( Hof-2000 ). In the primate, it consists of two parts, the anterior part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (MEAa) and the posterior part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (MEAp). In the rodent it is subdivided into five parts: the anterodorsal part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (MEAad), the anteroventral part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (MEAav), the posterodorsal part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (MEApd), the posteroventral part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (MEApv) and the nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract (OLTa). Classically the primate MEA has been categorized as part of the corticomedial nuclear group ( Carpenter-1983 ). In the rodent it is classified as part of the extended striatum ( Swanson-2004 ). Functionally it is classified as part of the olfactory system (OLS) (NeuroNames). Neurons in the MEA and adjacent amygdalohippocampal area (AHI) have the highest levels of androgen and estrogen receptors of any nucleus in the amygdala ( Simerly-1990 ). The hormonal signals those receptors detect presumably enable the addition of self-sex information to sensorimotor signals processed through them. Thus, it is reasonable to consider that The evaluation of social oderants (pheromones) for differences between sexually immature and adult members of one's species and between male and female adults may occur in the MEA, Updated 14 Aug 2024.

Also known as: medial amygdaloid nucleus, Nucleus amygdalae medialis, Nucleus medialis amygdalae, Nucleus amygdaloideus medialis, medial nucleus of amygdala, medial amygdalar nucleus

NeuroNames ID: 241

All Names & Sources

1 of 17

Showing 17 synonym(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 17 synonym(s)

Name:

medial amygdaloid nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

medial amygdaloid nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis

Source:

Martin-1997

Citation:

Primate Information Center, University of Washington, Seattle, 1997.

Source Title:

Template Atlas of the Primate Brain

Name:

medial amygdaloid nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

Nucleus amygdalae medialis

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Riley-1943

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1943

Source Title:

An Atlas Of The Basal Ganglia, Brain Stem And Spinal Cord (Based On Myelin-Stained Material)

Name:

Nucleus medialis amygdalae

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis

Source:

Shantha-1968

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1968

Source Title:

A Stereotaxic Atlas Of The Java Monkey Brain (Macaca irus)

Name:

Nucleus amygdaloideus medialis

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Mai-1997

Citation:

San Diego: Academic Press, 1997

Source Title:

Atlas of the Human Brain

Name:

Nucleus amygdaloideus medialis

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Macaca fuscata

Source:

Kusama-1970

Citation:

University Park Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1970

Source Title:

Stereotaxic Atlas Of The Brain of Macaca fuscata

Name:

medial nucleus of amygdala

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

MEA

Language:

acronym

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-1998

Citation:

Second Revised Edition, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1998

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain

Name:

Language:

acronym

Organism:

mouse

Source:

Paxinos-2001

Citation:

Second Edition, Academic Press, San Diego, 2001

Source Title:

The Mouse Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates

Name:

nucleo mediale amigdaloideo

Language:

Italian

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1995

Citation:

EdiSes, s.r.l.- Napoli, 1995

Source Title:

Fondamenti di Neuroanatomia

Name:

MeA

Language:

acronym

Organism:

macaque

Source:

Martin-2000

Citation:

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000

Source Title:

Primate Brain Maps: Structure Of The Macaque Brain

Name:

núcleo amigdalino medial

Language:

Spanish

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1994

Citation:

edicion 4, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore; traducción de Editorial Medica Panamericana, Buenos Aires, efectuada por el Dr. Alejandro Kaufman

Source Title:

Neuroanatomía Fundamentos

Name:

noyau médial

Language:

French

Organism:

human

Source:

Duvernoy-1992

Citation:

Springer-Verlag, Paris, 1992

Source Title:

Le cerveau humain: Surface, coupes seriees tridimensionnelles et IRM

Name:

medial amygdalar nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

mouse

Source:

Dong-2004

Citation:

Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 2004

Source Title:

Allen Reference Atlas

Name:

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Macaca mulatta

Source:

Paxinos-2009a

Citation:

Amsterdam: Elsevier-Academic Press. 2009

Source Title:

The Rhesus Monkey Brain, Second Edition

Name:

Language:

acronym

Organism:

macaque

Source:

Amaral-1992

Citation:

Chapter 1, pp. 1-66 in The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction, Aggleton, J.P. (ed),Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992

Source Title:

Anatomical organization of the primate amygdaloid complex

Illustrations

Showing 3 illustration(s)

labeled line drawings of
sagittal section in
Macaca fascicularis

multiple views of
3D reconstruction in
Macaca mulatta

Nissl stain & diagram of
coronal section in
mouse

Species With The Structure

Equivalent By	Human	Macaque	Rat	Mouse
Topology	Has The Structure	Has The Structure	Has The Structure	Has The Structure

1 of 9

Showing 9 record(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 9 record(s)

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

medial amygdaloid nucleus

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus amygdalae medialis

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus amygdaloideus medialis

Source:

Mai-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis)

Their Name:

medial amygdaloid nucleus

Source:

Martin-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis)

Their Name:

Nucleus medialis amygdalae

Source:

Shantha-1968

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fuscata (Macaca fuscata)

Their Name:

Nucleus amygdaloideus medialis

Source:

Kusama-1970

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

medial amygdaloid nucleus

Source:

Bowden-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

medial nucleus of amygdala

Source:

Bowden-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Mus (mouse)

Their Name:

medial amygdalar nucleus

Source:

Dong-2004

Models Where It Appears

Structural CNS Model - Macaque

Brain structures of the macaque are illustrated in BrainInfo’s NeuroMaps macaque brain atlas. Structures are grouped by proximity in a hierarchy corresponding to the central nervous system hierarchy of NeuroNames ( Bowden-1995 Martin-2000 ). Structures in the NeuroMaps atlas are based on the segmentation of an MRI of the brain of a 3-year old male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). The atlas is most useful for targeting structures for implantating electrodes and chemtrodes. Updated 29 Oct 2025.

Functional CNS Model - Rat

The Functional CNS Model - Rat (FMrat) ( Swanson-2004) is one of three hierarchical models representing the internal organization of the central nervous system (CNS). The others are the Structural CNS Model - Human (SThmn) and the Functional CNS Model - Human (FMhmn). The FMrat model represents the basic organization of the mouse ( Hof-2000 AMBA-2024 ) and, presumably, other rodents. Functional CNS models differ from structural models in that structures are defined and named by connectivity rather than by proximity to other structures at the same level. Functional models are more useful for representing longitudinal components of are grouped based on information drawn from multiple neuroscientific disciplines. such as connections, neurochemical characteristics, and role in physiogical and behavioral processes. While the Functional Model was developed primarily for an atlas of the rat brain ( Swanson-2004 ), the hierarchical organization of structures is for the most part applicable to the human, macaque, mouse and other mammalian brains as well. Structures at lower levels of the Functional CNS hierarchy are largely the same as in the Classical and Developmental Models, i.e., they were originally identified by stains for gray matter (Nissl substance) and white matter (myelin). At the next higher level they are grouped into basic connectional and functional systems of the CNS, such as the subcortical sensory systems, the brainstem motor system and the behavioral state system. At the highest levels CNS structures are grouped on the basis of dissection and embryologic precursors into cerebrum ( cerebral cortex and cerebral nuclei ), cerebellum, and cerebrospinal trunk.