ventroposterior nucleus

a nucleus of the thalamus in the brain that relays messages from the spinal cord to the primary somatosensory area in the anterior parietal cortex. It includes the medial and lateral ventroposterior subnuclei, representing the face and body respectively, and receives input from cutaneous receptors. The ventroposterior nucleus is part of the ventroposterior nuclear complex; this also includes the ventroposterior superior nucleus, which receives input from muscle spindles, and the ventroposterior inferior nucleus, which receives spinothalamic terminations related to touch, pain, and temperature. Also called posterior ventral lateral nucleus; postventral nucleus; ventral posterior lateral nucleus.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

personality assessment

the evaluation of such factors as intelligence, skills, interests, aptitudes, creative abilities, attitudes, and facets of psychological development by a variety of methods and techniques. These include (a) observational methods that use behavior sampling, interviews, and rating scales; (b) personality inventories, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; and (c) projective techniques, such as the Rorschach Inkblot Test and Thematic Apperception Test. The uses of personality assessment are numerous, including in the clinical evaluation of children and adults; in educational and vocational counseling; in industry and other organizational settings; and in rehabilitation.