basal nucleus - BrainInfo

basal nucleus (BSN)

The term basal nucleus refers to discrete groups of large cells revealed by Nissl stain in the rostral portion of the substantia innominata of the human ( Anthoney-1994; Schiebler-1999 ) and the macaque ( Szabo-1984 ). The primate structure probably has a topological equivalent in the rat ( Swanson-2004 ) and the mouse ( Hof-2000 ), which has been variously known as the magnocellular preoptic nucleus, the nucleus of the horizontal limb of the diagonal band, and the magnocellular nucleus of the pallidum ( Swanson-2004 ).

Also known as: basal nucleus, Nucleus basalis, basal nucleus of Meynert, Nucleus basalis (Meynert), basal nuclei of Meynert, basal magnocellular nucleus (substantia innominata), ganglion of Meynert, nucleus of substantia innominata, Nucleus basalis Meynert, nucleus basalis of Meynert, basal forebrain nucleus, basal magnocellular nucleus, magnocellular preoptic nucleus, magnocellular nucleus of the pallidum, nucleus of the horizontal limb of the diagonal band (Price-Powell), magnocellular basal complex, magnocellular basal forebrain

NeuroNames ID: 275

All Names & Sources

1 of 25

Showing 25 synonym(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 25 synonym(s)

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 basale

Language:

Italian

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1995

Citation:

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

Source Title:

Fondamenti di Neuroanatomia

Name:

basal 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:

basal nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

Nucleus basalis

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:

basal nucleus of Meynert

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Szabo-1984

Citation:

J Comp Neurol 1984 Jan 10;222(2):265-300

Source Title:

A stereotaxic atlas of the brain of the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Name:

basal nucleus of Meynert

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Mai-1997

Citation:

San Diego: Academic Press, 1997

Source Title:

Atlas of the Human Brain

Name:

Nucleus basalis (Meynert)

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:

basal nuclei of Meynert

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

basal magnocellular nucleus (substantia innominata)

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

ganglion of Meynert

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Crosby-1962

Citation:

New York: MacMillan, 1962

Source Title:

Correlative Anatomy of the Nervous System

Name:

nucleus of substantia innominata

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Anthoney-1994

Citation:

Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, 1994

Source Title:

Neuroanatomy And The Neurologic Exam: A Thesaurus of Synonyms, Similar Sounding Non-Synonyms And Terms Of Variable Meaning

Name:

Nucleus basalis Meynert

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Schiebler-1999

Citation:

Eighth Edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1999.

Source Title:

Anatomie

Name:

nucleus basalis of Meynert

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Mai-2004

Citation:

Chapter 3, pp. 49-94. In: <a href="http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/scripts/reports/track_page.asp?ref=39" target=_blank>The Human Nervous System</a>, G. Paxinos & J.K. Mai, (Elsevier Academic Press, New York), 2004

Source Title:

Fetal Development of the Central Nervous System

Name:

nucleus basalis

Language:

French

Organism:

human

Source:

Duvernoy-1992

Citation:

Springer-Verlag, Paris, 1992

Source Title:

Le cerveau humain: Surface, coupes seriees tridimensionnelles et IRM

Name:

basal forebrain nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

NeuroNames

Citation:

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Source Title:

NeuroNames

Name:

basal magnocellular nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

mouse

Source:

NeuroNames

Citation:

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Source Title:

NeuroNames

Name:

magnocellular preoptic nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-2004

Citation:

Third Edition, Elsevier Academic Press, Oxford, 2004

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain.

Name:

magnocellular nucleus of the pallidum

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-2004

Citation:

Third Edition, Elsevier Academic Press, Oxford, 2004

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain.

Name:

nucleus of the horizontal limb of the diagonal band (Price-Powell)

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Svenningsson-1998

Citation:

J Comp Neurol 1998 Sep 21;399(2):229-40

Source Title:

Cellular distribution of adenosine A2A receptor mRNA in the primate striatum

Name:

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Macaca mulatta

Source:

Paxinos-2009a

Citation:

Amsterdam: Elsevier-Academic Press. 2009

Source Title:

The Rhesus Monkey Brain, Second Edition

Name:

magnocellular basal complex

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Raghanti-2011

Citation:

Neuroscience 184:1-15

Source Title:

Comparative analysis of the nucleus basalis of Meynert among primates

Name:

nbM

Language:

acronym

Organism:

human

Source:

Raghanti-2011

Citation:

Neuroscience 184:1-15

Source Title:

Comparative analysis of the nucleus basalis of Meynert among primates

Name:

Basalkernkomplex

Language:

German

Organism:

human

Source:

Raghanti-2011

Citation:

Neuroscience 184:1-15

Source Title:

Comparative analysis of the nucleus basalis of Meynert among primates

Name:

magnocellular basal forebrain

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Raghanti-2011

Citation:

Neuroscience 184:1-15

Source Title:

Comparative analysis of the nucleus basalis of Meynert among primates

Illustrations

Showing 3 illustration(s)

drawing of
coronal section in
human

labeled line drawings of
sagittal section in
Macaca fascicularis

multiple views of
3D reconstruction in
Macaca mulatta

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 13

Showing 13 record(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 13 record(s)

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

basal magnocellular nucleus (substantia innominata)

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

basal nuclei of Meynert

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

basal nucleus of Meynert

Source:

Szabo-1984

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

basal nucleus of Meynert

Source:

Mai-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

ganglion of Meynert

Source:

Crosby-1962

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus basalis (Meynert)

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus basalis Meynert

Source:

Schiebler-1999

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

nucleus basalis of Meynert

Source:

Mai-2004

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

nucleus of substantia innominata

Source:

Anthoney-1994

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis)

Their Name:

basal nucleus

Source:

Martin-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis)

Their Name:

Nucleus basalis

Source:

Shantha-1968

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

basal nucleus

Source:

Bowden-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Mus (mouse)

Their Name:

magnocellular preoptic nucleus

Source:

Hof-2000

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.

gray matter (central nervous system gray matter)

cerebrum

pallium (Cerebral cortex (pallium))

cerebral nuclei

extended striatum (Striatum)

pallidum (Pallidum)

globus pallidus

substantia innominata (Substantia innominata)

basal nucleus (magnocellular nucleus)

medial septal complex (medial septal complex )

triangular septal nucleus (triangular nucleus of the septum)

nucleus of the anterior commissure (bed nucleus of the anterior commissure)

nucleus of stria medullaris (bed nucleus of the stria medullaris)

cerebellum

cerebrospinal trunk

white matter (basic fiber systems)

cerebral ventricles (ventricular system)