pregeniculate nucleus

pregeniculate nucleus (PGN)

The term pregeniculate nucleus refers to one of two components of the lateral geniculate complex in the human ( Mai-2004; Riley-1943 ), the macaque ( Shantha-1968; Martin-2000 ), the rat ( Swanson-2004 ), and the mouse ( Franklin-2008 ), In primate it is a narrow horizontal band of cells lying dorsal to the much larger lateral geniculate nucleus. It is separated from the larger nucleus by fibers of the optic tract. It is composed of two parts: the rostral part of the pregeniculate nucleus and the caudal part of the pregeniculate nucleus ( Olszewski-1952 ). In the rat ( Swanson-2004 ) and the mouse ( Franklin-2008 ) it lies ventral to the lateral geniculate nucleus, is closer to it in size, and is separated from it by the cellular intergeniculate leaf. It is composed of two parts: the lateral zone of the pregeniculate nucleus and the medial zone of the pregeniculate nucleus ( Swanson-2004 ). Some authors divide the nucleus of the rat into three layers ( Paxinos-2009b ). The dorsally located structure of the primate and ventrally located structure of the rodent are considered homologous, because the embryonic origin of both is ventral to that of the lateral geniculate nucleus, and both are continuous rostrally with the zona incerta and the reticular nucleus of the thalamus ( Jones-1985 ). Functionally the pregeniculate nucleus belongs to the reticular formation (functional) of the brainstem motor system ( Swanson-2004 ).

Also known as: ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, lateral geniculate complex, ventral part, pregeniculate nucleus, Nucleus pregeniculatum, Nucleus praegeniculatus, Corpus geniculatum externum, nucleus accessorius, Griseum praegeniculatum, Praegeniculatum, lateral geniculate complex, ventral part (Kölliker), lateral geniculate nucleus, ventral part, ventral part of the lateral geniculate complex, suprageniculate nucleus, pregeniculate substance, Corpus pregeniculatum

NeuroNames ID: 354

All Names & Sources

1 of 22

Showing 22 synonym(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 22 synonym(s)

Name:

LGv

Language:

acronym

Organism:

mouse

Source:

Hof-2000

Citation:

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000

Source Title:

Comparative Cytoarchitectonic Atlas of the C57BL/6 and 129/Sv Mouse Brains

Name:

ventral lateral geniculate nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

lateral geniculate complex, ventral part

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

pregeniculate nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Roberts-1970

Citation:

Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1970

Source Title:

Atlas Of The Human Brain In Section

Name:

pregeniculate nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

macaque

Source:

Jones-1990

Citation:

Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 1990;54-55:1-20

Source Title:

Correlation and revised nomenclature of ventral nuclei in the thalamus of human and monkey

Name:

Nucleus pregeniculatum

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Roberts-1970

Citation:

Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1970

Source Title:

Atlas Of The Human Brain In Section

Name:

Nucleus praegeniculatus

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Mai-1997

Citation:

San Diego: Academic Press, 1997

Source Title:

Atlas of the Human Brain

Name:

Corpus geniculatum externum, nucleus accessorius

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:

Griseum praegeniculatum

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:

Praegeniculatum

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:

pregeniculate

Language:

Indonesian

Organism:

human

Source:

Noback-1982

Citation:

Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kedokteran EGC, 1982

Source Title:

Anatomi Susunan Saraf Manusia, Prinsip-Prinsip Dasar Neurobiologi

Name:

lateral geniculate complex, ventral part (Kölliker)

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-1998

Citation:

Second Revised Edition, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1998

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain

Name:

lateral geniculate nucleus, ventral part

Language:

English

Organism:

mouse

Source:

Hof-2000

Citation:

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000

Source Title:

Comparative Cytoarchitectonic Atlas of the C57BL/6 and 129/Sv Mouse Brains

Name:

вентральное ядро наружного коленчатого тела

Language:

Russian

Organism:

human

Source:

Savel'ev-1996

Citation:

AREA XVII, Moscow, 1996.

Source Title:

Stereoskopicheskii Atlas Mozga Cheloveka

Name:

ventral part of the lateral geniculate complex

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:

suprageniculate nucleus

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:

substance grisé prégeniculeé

Language:

French

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

Jones-1985

Citation:

Plenum Press, New York, 1985.

Source Title:

The Thalamus

Name:

pregeniculate substance

Language:

English

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

Jones-1985

Citation:

Plenum Press, New York, 1985.

Source Title:

The Thalamus

Name:

Corpus pregeniculatum

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

Jones-1985

Citation:

Plenum Press, New York, 1985.

Source Title:

The Thalamus

Name:

LGv

Language:

acronym

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-2004

Citation:

Third Edition, Elsevier Academic Press, Oxford, 2004

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain.

Name:

PrG

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Macaca mulatta

Source:

Paxinos-2009a

Citation:

Amsterdam: Elsevier-Academic Press. 2009

Source Title:

The Rhesus Monkey Brain, Second Edition

Name:

PGN

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

NeuroNames

Citation:

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Source Title:

NeuroNames

Illustrations

Showing 4 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

Nissl stain & diagram of
sagittal section in
mouse

Species With The Structure

Equivalent By	Human	Macaque	Rat	Mouse
Topology	Has The Structure	Relevant Data Not Located	Has The Structure	Has The Structure

1 of 11

Showing 11 record(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 11 record(s)

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Corpus geniculatum externum, nucleus accessorius

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Griseum praegeniculatum

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus praegeniculatus

Source:

Mai-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus pregeniculatum

Source:

Roberts-1970

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Praegeniculatum

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

pregeniculate nucleus

Source:

Roberts-1970

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

lateral geniculate complex, ventral part

Source:

Bowden-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

lateral geniculate complex, ventral part (Kölliker)

Source:

Swanson-1998

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

ventral lateral geniculate nucleus

Source:

Bowden-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

ventral part of the lateral geniculate complex

Source:

Swanson-2004

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Mus (mouse)

Their Name:

lateral geniculate nucleus, ventral part

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

cerebellum

cerebrospinal trunk

subcortical sensory systems (sensory system)

behavioral state system

brainstem motor system (motor system)

behavior control column

motor superior colliculus (superior colliculus, motor related)

postcerebellar and precerebellar nuclei

vestibulomotor regions

central gray