External capsule

The external capsule is a series of white matter fiber tracts in the brain. These fibers run between the most lateral (toward the side of the head) segment of the lentiform nucleus (more specifically the putamen) and the claustrum.

External capsule
Horizontal section of right cerebral hemisphere. (external capsule shown in orange, indicated by red arrow.)
Deep dissection of cortex and brain-stem. (External capsule visible at center.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	capsula externa
MeSH	D066271
NeuroNames	253
NeuroLex ID	nlx_16247
TA98	A14.1.09.551
TA2	5588
FMA	61959
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The white matter of the external capsule contains fibers known as corticocortical association fibers. These fibers are responsible for connecting the cerebral cortex to another cortical area. The capsule itself appears as a thin white sheet of white matter.

The external capsule is a route for cholinergic fibers from the basal forebrain to the cerebral cortex.

The putamen separates the external capsule from the internal capsule medially and the claustrum separates it from the extreme capsule laterally. But the external capsule eventually joins the internal capsule around the lentiform nucleus.

Additional images

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  Superficial dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.
• 
  Superficial dissection of brain-stem. Ventral view.
• 
  Dissection of brain-stem. Dorsal view.
• 
  External capsule
• 
  External capsule
• 
  Ventricles of brain and basal ganglia. Superior view. Horizontal section. Deep dissection.
• 
  Ventricles of brain and basal ganglia.Superior view. Horizontal section. Deep dissection.

See also

• Internal capsule
• Extreme capsule

External links

• "Anatomy diagram: 13048.000-2". Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22.
• Image at Univ. of South Carolina