Fig. 23. Overview of the major efferent pathways from the hypothalamus. (A) Connections with the limbic cortex, brainstem, thalamus and septum. (B) Course of hypothalamic fibers in the dorsal longitudinal fasciculus (fasciculus longitudinalis dorsalis) or fasciculus of Schutz, reaching autonomic and somatic centers in the brainstem and spinal cord.
A = anterior hypothalamic nucleus; ac = anterior commissure; cc = corpus callosum; CGRF = central grey – reticular formation; Dm = dorsomedial nucleus; dnmt = dorsal nucleus of the mesencephalic tegmentum; E-Wn = nucleus of Edinger-Wepstal; fb = medial forebrain bundle; ep = epithalamus; fld = fasciculus longitudinalis dorsalis (fasciculus of Schutz); fr = fasciculus retroflexus; ha = habenula; HYP = hypothalamus; htt = habenulo-tectal tract; ilm = intermediate-lateral column of the spinal cord; inf = infundibular or arcuate nucleus; mb = mammillary body; MES = mesencephalon; mfb = medial forebrain bundle; MO = medulla oblongata; mteg = mammillo-tegmental tract; mp = mammillary peduncle; mtt = mammillo-thalamic tract; nts = nucleus tractus solitarius; optec = optic tectum; Po = preoptic area; PP = posterior nuclues; Pv = paraventricular nucleus; pvs = periventricular systems; sm = stria medullaris; so = supraoptic nucleus; RF = reticular formation; rn = red nucleus; tec-spt = tectospinal tract; TS = thoracic spine; Vm = ventromedial nucleus. (From Toni R, Malaguti A, Benfenati F, Martini L: The human hypothalamus: a morphofunctional perspective. J Endocrinol Invest 27 (supp to n.6), 73-94, 2004.)