Caudate nucleus

Nucleus caudatus

NervousOrgansHeadLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is

A C-shaped nucleus with a large head bulging into the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle, a body arching back along the ventricle wall above the thalamus and a thin tail curving down into the temporal lobe.

Function

Part of the striatum: helps select and start wanted movements and behaviours and suppress unwanted ones, and supports habit and reward learning.

Size

Head about 1.5-2 cm across; about 10 cm long along its curve

Clinical note

In Huntington disease the caudate head wastes away so the anterior horns look ballooned on scans, producing chorea and dementia.