Ventral lateral nucleus

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The ventral lateral nucleus (VL) is a motor-relay part of the thalamus. It gets input from the basal ganglia (including the substantia nigra and globus pallidus) and from the cerebellum (via the dentatothalamic tract). It sends output to the primary motor cortex, the premotor cortex, and the supplementary motor area. The VL helps coordinate and plan movement and supports motor learning, working together with the ventral anterior nucleus as the motor division of the thalamus. Lesions of the VL have been linked to synesthesia in some cases. The VL has subdivisions, including pathways that involve the spinomesencephalic tract to the superior colliculus in the midbrain.