ABSTRACT
This chapter describes structures in the diencephalon and in the limbic system that are involved in regulating affect and adding subtlety. Signals from the sensory organs are collected in a relay station in the diencephalon, and from they are conveyed to the limbic system and the neocortex. The basal ganglia are closely connected to both the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system; they respond with motor activity to natural rewards and anxiety stimuli. The limbic system is often called the "olfactory brain" because it is involved in olfactory perception. The limbic system is able to read signals from the outside world and combine them with body sensations. Limbic activity is an emotionally motivating structure, whose function is to filter what happens internally and externally. Sensorimotor and affective systems are co-ordinated in the limbic system and self-regulate in relation to interacting with the environment and securing survival.
