Which of the following sequences correctly traces the classical Papez circuit of emotion and memory?
- A Amygdala, stria terminalis, hypothalamus, cingulate gyrus, hippocampus
- B Hippocampal formation, fornix, mammillary body, mammillothalamic tract, anterior thalamic nucleus, cingulate gyrus ✓
- C Hippocampus, cingulum bundle, mammillary body, anterior thalamic nucleus, fornix
- D Cingulate gyrus, fornix, hippocampus, mammillary body, anterior thalamic nucleus
Correct answer: B. Hippocampal formation, fornix, mammillary body, mammillothalamic tract, anterior thalamic nucleus, cingulate gyrus
Explanation
The Papez circuit runs from the hippocampal formation through the fornix to the mammillary bodies, then via the mammillothalamic tract to the anterior thalamic nuclei, onward to the cingulate gyrus, and back through the cingulum to the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. Option A places the amygdala in the circuit, but the amygdala connects via the stria terminalis and ventral amygdalofugal pathway and is not part of the classical Papez loop.
Reference: Snell's Clinical Neuroanatomy, 8th ed.
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