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IntroNS Practice Exam

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Which structure is continuous with cortical white matter and links the cortex with the brainstem, specifically the thalamus?
Correct Answer:
Internal Capsule
Explanation:
Projection fibers that connect the cortex with subcortical structures travel together as the internal capsule. It’s the compact white matter bundle that remains continuous with the cortex’s own white matter (the corona radiata) and carries fibers heading down to the brainstem and up to the cortex from the thalamus. Because it contains these corticospinal and thalamocortical (thalamus-to-cortex) pathways, it serves as the main link between the cortex and the brainstem–thalamic system. The other options aren’t white matter tracts linking cortex to brainstem: the basal telencephalon is a brain region, the retina is part of the visual system, and the tectum is a midbrain structure.

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