Ventral pallidum

The ventral pallidum is a structure within the basal ganglia of the brain. It is an output nucleus whose fibres project to thalamic nuclei, such as the ventral anterior nucleus, the ventral lateral nucleus, and the medial dorsal nucleus. The ventral pallidum is a component of the limbic loop of the basal ganglia, a pathway involved in the regulation of motivation, behaviour, and emotions. It is involved in drug addiction.

The ventral pallidum lies within the basal ganglia, a group of subcortical nuclei. Along with the external segment of the globus pallidus, it is separated from other basal ganglia nuclei by the anterior commissure.