What does the lateral medullary lamina separate?

The lateral medullary lamina is a thin layer of myelinated fibers that serves as an anatomical boundary within the basal ganglia. It separates the putamen from the external globus pallidus. The putamen is one of the key structures involved in the regulation of movement and coordination, while the external globus pallidus plays a significant role in controlling muscle tone and movement modulation.

This separation by the lateral medullary lamina is important because it helps define the organization of these structures and their neuroanatomical relationships within the basal ganglia circuitry. The distinct functional roles and connections of the putamen and the external globus pallidus can thus be better understood in relation to each other, as they are part of the larger neural networks that govern motor function and coordination. The separation by the lateral medullary lamina helps to clarify the functional pathways involved in these processes.