periaqueductal gray

English

Noun

periaqueductal gray (plural not attested)

1. (anatomy) The region surrounding the cerebral aqueduct in the midbrain, playing an important role in analgesia. [from 20th c.]
   • 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin 2012, p. 601:

     The periaqueductal gray contains circuits that control the sensorimotor components of rage.

References

• Bear et al. Neuroscience, Exploring the Brain Co. 2001, Lippincot Williams and Wilkins