Meaning & use
caudate nucleus
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablemedicalbiology
A curved, tail-shaped clump of nerve cells deep inside the brain that helps guide movement, learning and habits.
Grammar: Countable; each hemisphere has one, so usually the caudate nucleus.
Patterns
- the caudate nucleus of the brain
The scan showed reduced activity in the caudate nucleus.
Damage to the caudate nucleus can disrupt movement.
The caudate nucleus lights up when people expect a reward.
Word forms
| plural | caudate nuclei |
|---|
Common combinations
- activity in the caudate nucleus
- Activity in the caudate nucleus rose during the game.
- damage to the caudate nucleus
- Damage to the caudate nucleus affected her speech.
- the head of the caudate nucleus
- The tumor lay near the head of the caudate nucleus.
- the left caudate nucleus
- The left caudate nucleus appeared smaller on the scan.
Synonyms and how they differ
- basal ganglia
- Basal ganglia is a wider group of brain structures that includes the caudate nucleus.
Word family
- caudate adjective
- having a tail
- nucleus noun
- a cluster of nerve cells in the brain
- putamen noun
- a neighboring structure in the basal ganglia
- striatum noun
- the area formed by the caudate and putamen
Commonly confused: caudate nucleus or cerebellum?
caudate nucleus vs cerebellum
The cerebellum is at the back of the brain and coordinates balance, whereas the caudate nucleus lies deeper and shapes movement and learning.
Practice
The caudate nucleus is part of which brain system?
Choose one answer.
The caudate nucleus is a main part of the basal ganglia. The other options are not parts of the brain's deep movement circuits.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “caudate nucleus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.