The pulvinar is the largest nucleus of the human thalamus, forming its rounded back end that overhangs the midbrain. It is an association nucleus, linking the superior colliculus and visual cortex with wide areas of parietal, temporal and occipital cortex. It plays a large role in visual attention.
| Location | Posterior end of the thalamus, above and behind the geniculate nuclei, overlying the superior colliculi |
|---|---|
| Parts |
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| Connections |
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| Blood Supply | Posterior choroidal arteries; Thalamogeniculate arteries (posterior cerebral artery) |
Coordinates activity between cortical areas and helps direct visual attention, filtering out distractions and highlighting important visual targets.
Pulvinar lesions can cause contralateral visual neglect or difficulty shifting attention. The pulvinar sign on MRI, high signal in both pulvinar nuclei, is a characteristic finding in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Fabry disease and some venous infarcts can also show bilateral pulvinar changes.
A prion disease in which MRI often shows symmetrical bright signal in the pulvinar, called the pulvinar sign.
Difficulty noticing or shifting attention to objects on the opposite side after a stroke of the pulvinar.
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