periaqueductal gray

English

Alternative forms

• periaqueductal grey

Etymology

Shortening of periaqueductal gray matter.

Noun

periaqueductal gray (plural not attested)

1. (neuroanatomy) The region surrounding the cerebral aqueduct in the midbrain, playing an important role in analgesia. [From 20th c.]

   Synonyms: central gray, PAG

   • 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 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