The limbic system of the brain consists of a group of structures that direct emotions and behavior. It is made up of a series of complex structures, which are located around the thalamus and below the cerebral cortex. The limbic system, in particular the hippocampus and the amygdala, are involved in long-term memory formation and are closely associated with olfactory structures (related to the sense of smell). The hypothalamus is one of the areas of the diencephalon most involved in the regulation of emotions, the cingulate cortex controls affective and cognitive functions, the fornix is a bundle of fibers that reciprocally connects hippocampal formation with various subcortical areas (they include the amygdala, the mamillary bodies, the hypothalamus), some nuclei of the thalamus (anterior, intralaminar, and medial dorsal groups) and the ventral striatum (the nucleus accumbens), the thalamus integrates and transmits sensory signals to the cerebral cortex. These cortical and subcortical structures are interconnected forming the limbic system and are dedicated to link the visceral emotion states with cognition and motivated behavior.
