The Interthalamic Adhesion

Many folks here have read bits about the pineal gland, with some correlating the structure to the culturally known "third eye."

However, sitting at the literal center of the brain and right next to the pineal, is the thalamus.

The thalamus (from Greek θάλαμος, "chamber")[1] is a midline symmetrical structure of two halves, within the vertebrate brain, situated between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain. Some of its functions are the relaying of sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex,[2][3] and the regulation of consciousness, sleep, and alertness.

We still don't know much about it, but researchers are suggesting it regulates consciousness among other things. That's a big deal!

The purpose of this thread is to take a quick glance at a part of the thalamus known as the interthalamic adhesion:

The interthalamic adhesion (also known as the mass intermedia or middle commissure) is a flattened band of tissue that connects both parts of the thalamus at their medial surfaces. The medial surfaces form the upper part of the lateral wall to the third ventricle.

Something interesting about this structure is the variation in people. According to research, the interthalamic adhesion is entirely absent in 20% of people, and is on average 50% larger in females.

In mammals other than humans, it is a large structure. In humans it is only about one centimetre long, though In females it is larger by about 50%.[1]Sometimes it is in two parts and 20% to 30% of the time it is absent.

Mentioned earlier, a lot is still not known about the functions of the thalamus and interthalamic adhesion. There is, however, some research into the subject.

One pdf file I found shows some possible correlation to the absence of an interthalamic adhesion and schizoprehnia.

www.ijav.org › ijav_10_174-175

Absence of the interthalamic adhesion may be associated
with schizophrenia. Crippa et al. have reported absence
of interthalamic adhesion in 18.42% of schizophrenic
individuals and in 10.53% or normal individuals [5]. In
another study by Meisenzahl et al. it was absent in 23.3%
of schizophrenic population and in 13.3% of normal
population

So a potential correlation there and leads to even more questions about consciousness, perception, and how the thalamus and it's "connectivity" so to speak, may go hand in hand.



Further research has shown that those with an absence of the interthalamic adhesion may also have a more flexible third ventricle which is the blood supply to the thalamus itself, indicating possible flow increase in those without (20-30% of people).

The existence of an interthalamic adhesion (in 70% of brains) might alter the flexibility of the third ventricle, as the tissue of the IA would be less pliant, and might restrict movement, compared to an open fluid-filled space capable of more expansion, present in only 30% of human brains without an interthalamic adhesion.

craniofascial.com...


There is also what is known as the intercranial impulse which is essentially the movement or pulse of blood in the third ventricle:

The subtle pulsatile motion of the Cranial Rhythm is body-wide and includes slow rhythmic changes to the shape and volume of the third cranial ventricle in the midline, at the centre of the head, swelling with expansion and deflating with contraction.
CRI motion occurring in this evolutionarily ancient area of the brain, where mechanical, fluid, neural and hormonal functions all overlap, has a pivotal homeostatic role.

They go on to hypothesis that the amplitude of these pulses may be capable of greater pulses in those with an Interthalamic adhesion:

A client who has a third ventricle without an interthalamic adhesion could be capable of greater cranial rhythm amplitude (the range between expansion and contraction) than a client with it present.

Just thought I'd share some base research on a mostly mysterious structure of the brain. Hope you enjoyed.