The mediodorsal thalamus in executive control

Mathieu Wolff, Michael M. Halassa
Neuron. 2024-03-01; 112(6): 893-908
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.002

Wolff M(1), Halassa MM(2).

Author information:
(1)University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
Electronic address: .
(2)Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA,
USA; Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA,
USA. Electronic address: .

Executive control, the ability to organize thoughts and action plans in real
time, is a defining feature of higher cognition. Classical theories have
emphasized cortical contributions to this process, but recent studies have
reinvigorated interest in the role of the thalamus. Although it is well
established that local thalamic damage diminishes cognitive capacity, such
observations have been difficult to inform functional models. Recent progress in
experimental techniques is beginning to enrich our understanding of the
anatomical, physiological, and computational substrates underlying thalamic
engagement in executive control. In this review, we discuss this progress and
particularly focus on the mediodorsal thalamus, which regulates the activity
within and across frontal cortical areas. We end with a synthesis that
highlights frontal thalamocortical interactions in cognitive computations and
discusses its functional implications in normal and pathological conditions.

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.002
PMID: 38295791 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of interests The authors declare no
competing interests.