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It contains about 2000 neurons per cubic millimetre and has a volume of about 300 cubic millimetres with 600,000 neurons in total. It sends nerve fibres to the caudate , putamen and collateral fibre s to the cerebral cortex. It receives nerve fibres from the cerebral cortex, vestibular nuclei , globus pallidus, superior colliculus, reticular formation , and spinothalamic tract.
Its physiological role involves attention and arousal, including control of the level of cortical activity. Some frequencies of extracellular electrical stimulation of the centromedian nucleus can cause absence seizures (temporary loss of consciousness) although electrical stimulation can be of therapeutic use in intractable epilepsy and Tourette's syndrome. General anaesthetics specifically suppress activity in the ILN, including the centromedian nucleus. Complete bilateral lesions of the centromedian nucleus can lead to states normally associated with brain deathBrain death is defined as a complete and irreversible cessation of brain activity. Absence of apparent brain function is not enough; evidence needs to be available that the condition is irreversible. Traditionally, death was defined as the cessation of al such as comaFor other meanings of the word "coma", especially in astronomy, see coma (disambiguation In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness, which may result from a variety of conditions including intoxication ( drug, alcohol or toxins), metabolic, death, persistent vegetative stateA persistent vegetative state (or PVS) is a condition of patients with severe brain damage in whom coma has progressed to a state of "wakefulness without awareness". The term was introduced by two doctors in 1972 to describe a syndrome that seemed to have, forms of mutism and severe delirium . Unilateral lesions can lead to unilateral thalamic neglect .