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The human hypothalamus, a small structure at the base of the brain, has strategic importance for the harmonic function of the human body. It controls the autonomic nervous system, neuroendocrine function, circadian and circannual rhythms, somatic activities, and behavior, and is situated at the borders between the brain and the body and the brain and the soul, meeting points for mind and body. The hypothalamus is involved in a wide range of higher mental functions, including attention, learning and reinforcement of mnemonic processes, emotional control, mood stability, and cognitive-emotional interactions. It also has a role to play in behavioral disorders, panic reactions, cluster headache, gelastic epilepsy, mental deficiency, periodic disorders, depression, autism, and schizophrenia, and in a substantial number of neurodegenerative diseases. It enlarges greatly the dimensions of the hypothalamic contribution in controlling psychosomatic equilibrium and retaining internal unity of the human existence.

Hypothalamus. --- Diencephalon --- Endocrine glands --- Hypothalamo-hypophyseal system --- Limbic system --- Life Sciences --- Neuroscience --- Neurophysiology

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The hypothalamus is the region of the brain in charge of the maintenance of the internal milieu of the organism. It is also essential to orchestrate reproductive, parental, aggressive-defensive, and other social behaviors, and for the expression of emotions. Due to the structural complexity of the hypothalamus, however, many basic aspects of its ontogenesis are still mysterious. Nowadays we assist to a renewal of interest spurred in part by the growing realization that prenatal and early postnatal influences on the hypothalamus could entail pathological conditions later in life. Intriguing questions for the future include: do early specification phenomena reflect on adult hypothalamic function and possibly on some kinds of behavior? Can early events like specification, migration or formation of nuclei influence adult hypothalamic function? A change in morphological paradigm, from earlier columnar interpretations to neuromeric ones, is taking place. Concepts long taken for granted start to be challenged in view of advances in developmental and comparative neurobiology, and notably also in the molecular characterization of hypothalamic structures. How should we understand the position of the hypothalamus in relation to other brain regions? Should we bundle it together with the thalamus, a functionally, genetically and developmentally very different structure? Does the classic concept of “diencephalon” make sense, or should the hypothalamus be separated? Does the preoptic area belong to the hypothalamus or the telencephalon? The answer to these questions in the context of recent causal molecular analysis will help to understand hypothalamic evolution and morphogenesis as well as its adult function and connectivity. In this Research Topic we have reviewed the fundamentals of hypothalamic ontogenesis and evolution, summarizing present-day knowledge, taking stock of the latest advances, and anticipating future challenges.

Hypothalamus. --- Diencephalon --- Endocrine glands --- Hypothalamo-hypophyseal system --- Limbic system --- circadian --- Shh --- MCH --- Oxytocin --- thyroid --- Notch --- Nkx2.4 --- prosomeric --- Cadherins --- Mammillary

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The hypothalamus is an anatomically small but functionally important part of the brain. In functional and pathophysiological terms, the hypothalamus represents the intersection of several areas of clinical and medical expertise. The human hypothalamus can be astutely referred to as the crossroad of endocrinology, psychiatry, neurology and neurosurgery. Because of its involvement in myriad physiologic functions and the varied ways disorders involving it can manifest, hypothalamic disease can initially come to medical attention in widely disparate settings and with widely different clinicians. Therefore, the detection and proper care of hypothalamic dysfunction and disease often requires carefully coordinated multidisciplinary care. This volume fills a significant void in the medical professional community, comprehensively presenting the scope of hypothalamic structure, function, dysfunction and disease to cater to the various clinical, teaching and research professionals that have a stake in this part of the human brain. This text captures in one place all the information that practicing clinicians, clinician scientists, and researchers need to be adequately informed about various aspects of the hypothalamus in all its complexity. It is comprehensive and broad in scope so that it provides relevant reference information for the wide range of professionals involved in the pre- and post-mortem detection, diagnosis, characterization, care and management of various hypothalamic disorders and diseases in addition to providing a sound anatomic and physiologic foundation of the normal human hypothalamus. The Human Hypothalamus can be used to differing degrees by medical professionals and students alike, finding utility for interested general clinicians, medical school and allied health professional teaching faculty as well as subspecialists in domains as wide as neurosurgery, neuroendocrinology, clinical psychiatry and neuro-oncology.

Endocrinology . --- Neurology . --- Endocrinology. --- Neurology. --- Medicine --- Nervous system --- Neuropsychiatry --- Internal medicine --- Hormones --- Diseases --- Hypothalamus. --- Diencephalon --- Endocrine glands --- Hypothalamo-hypophyseal system --- Limbic system

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Hypothalamus. --- Preoptico-Hypothalamic Area --- Lamina Terminalis --- Area, Preoptico-Hypothalamic --- Areas, Preoptico-Hypothalamic --- Preoptico Hypothalamic Area --- Preoptico-Hypothalamic Areas --- Diencephalon --- Endocrine glands --- Hypothalamo-hypophyseal system --- Limbic system

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Hypothalamus. --- Hypothalamus --- Preoptico-Hypothalamic Area --- Lamina Terminalis --- Area, Preoptico-Hypothalamic --- Areas, Preoptico-Hypothalamic --- Preoptico Hypothalamic Area --- Preoptico-Hypothalamic Areas --- Diencephalon --- Endocrine glands --- Hypothalamo-hypophyseal system --- Limbic system