The thalamus plays important roles in segregating and transmitting sensory information to the appropriate cortical areas, but is also intimately involved in the control of the sleep-wake cycle and in regulating arousal states, by virtue of its central position in connecting a variety of brain stem structures (locus coeruleus, raphe nucleus, pontine cholinergic nuclei etc.) with the neocortex. Because of the importance of the thalamus for control of arousal, this is one of several potential sites at which alcohol might exert its sedative and hypnotic effects.
