Parietal Lobe: Receives and processes information about temperature, taste, touch, and movement coming from the rest of the body. Parahippocampal Gyrus: An important connecting pathway of the limbic system. Occipital Lobe: Helps process visual information. Limbic System: A group of interconnected structures that mediate emotions, learning and memory. Medulla Oblongata: Contains centers for the control of vital processes such as heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and swallowing.
Hippocampus: Plays a significant role in the formation of long-term memories. It is part of a system that processes "reflexive" emotions like fear and anxiety.Ĭingulate Gyrus: Plays a role in processing conscious emotional experience.įornix: An arch-like structure that connects the hippocampus to other parts of the limbic system.įrontal Lobe: Helps control skilled muscle movements, mood, planning for the future, setting goals, and judging priorities. Glossary of TermsĪmygdala: Limbic structure involved in many brain functions, including emotion, learning and memory. The hippocampus is one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer's disease. As the disease progresses, damage extends throughout the lobes. The limbic system consists of a number of structures, including the fornix, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, amygdala, the parahippocampal gyrus, and parts of the thalamus. The image on the right is a side view showing the location of the limbic system inside the brain. The image on the left is a side view of the outside of the brain, showing the major lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital) and the brain stem structures (pons, medulla oblongata, and cerebellum).