辺縁系

The Limbic System

I．まえがき

　辺縁系limbic systemはBroca（1878）のlegrand lobe limbiqueに由来するが，比較解剖学的には嗅覚を基にして発達して来たように見え，広義のRhinencephalonに相当する。しかし今日では自律神経系の高位統制部とせられ，情動行動に関し，新皮質と対立する古るい脳部を代表し，記憶にも関係があり，臨床的には癲癇発作との関係が重視せられ，本能的な性と食に主として関係する特殊な脳機能を営む部とせられるに至つた。我々は辺縁系につき形態と機能との関連を主として研究して来たがこれを大きくまとめ且つ線維関係に関連した問題につき最近の知見を述べる。

As one of the current topics of the limbic system, some problems on the functional interactions were discussed in relation with the fiber connections of the limbic structures. In the first paragraph the division and extensive limit of this system were stated and in the second paragraph the phylogeneticdevelopment was indicated. The next para-graph deals with the fibrous interrelationships between the activating system of the limbic structures and that of the reticular formati-on. Then the recently obtained results on the neuroanatomical and fibrous correlates were demonstrated as the main item of dispute with special reference to the struct-ural substrates of the limbic lobes and lastly the hitherto gained results on functional significances were summarized in the fifth paragraph, in which the results of invest-igations carried out in the author's laborat-ory, such as the autonomic responses obtain-ed by stimulation of the amygdala, some disturbances in sexual cycle demonstrated by destruction of the hippocampus or the septum, and others, were indicated.