limbic system
Meaning of limbic system: The limbic system is a group of interconnected brain structures that governs emotional response, motivation, and the formation of memories.
Definition of limbic system
The limbic system is a network of interconnected structures within the brain that plays a central role in emotion, motivation, and memory formation. It is not a single, sharply defined structure but rather a functional grouping of regions that work together and communicate extensively with one another and with other parts of the brain.
Key structures generally included within the limbic system are the amygdala, which is heavily involved in processing fear and other emotional responses, the hippocampus, which is essential for forming new long term memories, and the hypothalamus, which links the limbic system to hormonal and involuntary body functions. The cingulate gyrus, a curved region of the cerebral cortex, is also commonly included as part of this network.
Because the limbic system connects emotional processing so closely with memory formation, damage affecting its structures, such as from injury, stroke, or certain neurological diseases, can disrupt both emotional regulation and the ability to form new memories, depending on which specific structures are involved.
Used in a sentence
Imaging findings involving limbic system structures were considered in evaluating the patient's memory changes.
Good to know
The limbic system is not one anatomically distinct structure but a functional network of separate brain regions, so damage to only one component can affect emotion or memory without disrupting the entire system.
Word origin
Where “limbic system” comes from
Formed from Latin limbus, meaning border or edge, since these structures form a border like ring around the central structures of the brain.