Body of caudate nucleus

The body of caudate nucleus is the narrower continuation of its head. It extends posteriorly, following the course of the body of the lateral ventricle, and gradually narrows to continue into the tail of the caudate nucleus.

Relationship with the lateral ventricle

The body lies lateral to the thalamus. Alongwith the thalamus, it forms the floor of the body of lateral ventricle. The groove between the caudate nucleus and thalamus contains the stria terminalis and thalamostriate vein, an important anatomical relationship seen in the floor of the lateral ventricle.

Fucntional correlates

As part of the caudate nucleus and therefore the striatum, the body participates in corticostriatal basal ganglia circuits involved in movement selection, learning, cognition and goal-directed behaviour. Posteriorly, it becomes progressively thinner and curves to form the tail of the caudate nucleus.