Term: Central nucleus of amygdala

Definition: We have followed McDonald's (1982) parcelling into medial, lateral, and capsular parts, although it is clear that the nucleus is much more complex than this. McDonald's intermediate part was not recognized; it appears to fall within the lateral part as outlined here. The central and medial amygdalar nuclei receive cortical inputs and generate descending projections that are predominantly GABAergic, like the rest of the striatum. They also project to the BST, which we regard as pallidal.

Nomenclature: Swanson-2004