Abstract:

The pulvinar complex plays an important role in emotion processing by involving in multiple pathways. First, pulvinar involves in superior colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala pathway, which can process the emotional stimuli rapidly without the involvement of visual cortex. Second, pulvinar involves in pulvinar- cortical pathway in two different forms—cortico-pulvino-cortico circuits and colliculo-pulvinar-cortical pathway. This neural mechanism can increase the efficacy of information exchange by controlling the degree of synchrony between cortical regions, and can amplify signals in a manner that enhances their behavioral impact by coordinating the signals between cortical and subcortical regions.

Key words: pulvinar, colliculo-pulvinar-cortical pathway, pulvinar-cortical pathway, emotion processing