Basal forebrain: anatomy and clinical presentation of injury

Abstract

The basal forebrain is a complex anatomic region with a lot of nuclei and fibers. Tumors or direct lesions of this area do not always manifest clinically despite it taking a part in behavior, emotion and cognition. A deep understanding of the anatomy of the gray matter and associative pathways passing through the basal forebrain allows us to take a different look at clinical manifestations in the preand postoperative period. Based on the literature review, we tried to describe the anatomical, phylogenetic and functional connections of the basal forebrain with surrounding regions and analyze what changes in clinical symptoms appear when it is locally damaged.