Cerebral nuclei ( CNU ; Swanson, 2000 ) : The ventral (Schulze, 1893) topographic division of the endbrain (Kuhlenbeck, 1927), with a basically nonlaminated architecture; the dorsal (Barclay, 1803) division is the cerebral cortex (Bauhin, 1605). The general outlines of the cerebral nuclei were described for macrodissected adult humans by Bartholin (1651; see English translation 1662, p. 141), and a basic distinction during embryogenesis between cerebral cortex and cerebral nuclei was stressed by Baer (1837) and Reichert (1859-1861). The most common synonym today for cerebral nuclei, which was clearly defined by Swanson (2000, p. 117; 2004, pp. 166-170), is basal ganglia (Warwick & Williams, 1973); also see ganglion (Galen, c173). Other synonyms include corpus striatum (Willis, 1664), cerebral ganglia (Reil, 1809), and basal nuclei (Warwick & Williams, 1973). Cerebral nuclei (Swanson, 2000) is preferred to the synonym basal nuclei (Warwick & Williams, 1973) because it pairs naturally with cerebral cortex (Bauhin, 1605).

Tegmentum ( TG ; Swanson, 2000 ) : The ventral (Schulze, 1893) topographic division of the midbrain (Baer, 1837); the dorsal (Barclay, 1803) topographic division is the tectum (Schwalbe, 1881). Meckel (1817; see English translation, 1832, vol. 2, p. 467) apparently introduced the term and roughly its definition here for macrodissected adult humans, except he excluded the cerebral peduncle (Tarin, 1753), a white matter tract at the base of the midbrain, which is still common today but is included here. As defined here, tegmentum refers to the whole of the midbrain (Baer, 1837) excluding the tectum (Schwalbe, 1881) but including the pretectal region (Scalia, 1972); see Swanson (2000, pp. 522, 526). Usage of this term is very complex, inconsistent, and illogical; see for example Crosby et al. (1962, pp. 221, 260, 262), Carpenter (1976, p. 367 ff.).