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Medical Definition of Basal nuclei
1. Nucleus of the cerebral hemisphere that originally included the caudate and lenticular nuclei, the claustrum and the amygdaloid body (complex); functionally the term basal nuclei now specifies the caudate and lenticular nuclei and adjacent cell groups having important connections therewith (subthalamic nucleus; substantia nigra, partes compacta and reticulata); amygdaloid complex now known to be part of the limbic system. Synonym: nuclei basales. (05 Mar 2000)