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The limbic system is the part of the nervous system primarily responsible for memory and emotions. The limbic system developed in the second half of the twentieth century, but now more and more scientists argue that it really should disappear, at least from some of the divisions of the nervous system. Find out why this is so, and see what the functions of the limbic system are and what problems can arise from damage to its individual components.
Contents:
- Structure of the limbic system
- Functions of the limbic system
- Damage to the limbic system
The limbic systemis also called the limbic or marginal system, and the first mentions of it appeared in the medical world as early as 1878 - it was then that Paul Pierre Broca mentioned the limbic lobe , which is part of the cortex of the brain.
A much broader concept - the limbic system - was created much later, in 1952, and its author was Paul D. Maclean. The limbic system - due to the functions assigned to it - was, and still is, the object of interest of many scientists.
In fact, however, the view of this system has changed over the years. Previously, the structures belonging to the limbic system were clearly distinguished from other elements of the brain.
Currently, the dominant view among researchers is that the limbic system should not be distinguished in the anatomical divisions of the central nervous system. The place of this structure is seen in physiological divisions, i.e. those that divide individual structures of the brain according to their functions.
Structure of the limbic system
There is no specific classification that distinguishes the various structures of the limbic system. However, they have one thing in common: the hippocampus and the amygdala are considered the most important elements of this system. Apart from them, the limbic system also includes:
- transparent partition,
- olfactory brain,
- extreme fringe,
- part of thalamic nuclei,
- hypothalamus.
How is inflammation of the limbic system treated?
Types of brain diseases
How is the brain built?
Layout functionslimbic
The role of the limbic system is to control two phenomena: memory and emotions. The hippocampus is predominantly responsible for the first of these. It is this element of the brain (or actually elements, because we have two hippocampuses - one in each hemisphere of the brain) that is responsible for processing fresh information that reaches us.
In the hippocampus, there are processes related to the processing of short-term memory (popularly known as fresh) - it is thanks to this structure that the text read at a given moment can be remembered. This is because memory consolidation is taking place in the hippocampus and information that was previously in short-term memory can be retained in long-term memory.
The amygdala is the second most important structure in the limbic system. This element, in turn, is related primarily to emotions. In response to various factors reaching us from the environment, it is the amygdala that is associated with the fact that we feel satisfaction, joy or euphoria, but also opposite feelings - fear or anxiety.
This structure has connections with many other elements of the limbic system, but its connection with the hippocampus is particularly interesting. Thanks to it, various emotions that we experience can be remembered in this way (we are talking here about the so-called emotional memory).
These are not the only functions of the limbic system, however. This creation corresponds, inter alia, to also for spatial orientation, but also affects the processes taking place within the autonomic nervous system or the endocrine (endocrine) system.
It also exerts an influence on impulsive activities, incl. on food consumption and sexual behavior. It is also believed that it is the limbic system that is associated with the occurrence of our motivation to various activities, but it is also mentioned that it is associated with the development of various addictions in people.
Such a wide range of functions of the limbic system results from the fact that there are numerous connections between its individual elements.
Damage to the limbic system
Although many researchers were interested in the limbic system, it is still quite enigmatic for the medical community. It is for this reason that there is still and still a lot of research that focuses on this structure - incl. they concern various abnormalities of the limbic system that can be the source of various diseases.
The potential link has already been noticed in many individuals. At least in the course of one characterepilepsy - we are talking about temporal epilepsy - quite often sclerotic changes in the hippocampus are observed in patients. Degenerative changes within the limbic system may, in turn, be associated with dementia disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Various abnormalities in the limbic system can also influence the occurrence of various mental disorders. Here, first of all, psychotic, anxiety or affective disorders and ADHD are mentioned.
In the case of the former, which include, for example, schizophrenia, there have been reports of patients in whom the volume of the limbic system structures - compared to he althy subjects - was reduced. We probably still have to wait for specific information about the relationship between damage to the limbic system and various pathological processes. One thing can be said with great conviction - the activity of the limbic system is extremely important for our functioning.
Sources:
1. V. Rajmohan, E. Mohandas, The limbic system, Indian J Psychiatry. 2007 Apr-Jun; 49 (2): 132-139
2. Human anathomy. A textbook for students and doctors, ed. II and supplemented by W. Woźniak, ed. Urban & Partner, Wrocław 2010
3. Neurology, scientific ed. W. Kozubski, Paweł P. Liberski, ed. PZWL, Warsaw 2014
4. Materials of The University Queensland Australia, on-line access: https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/limbic-system
About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.