Epithalamus
Update August 26, 2020
The epithalamus is a (dorsal) segment of the diencephalon. The epithalamus includes the habenula and their interconnecting fibers the habenular commissure, the stria medullaris and the pineal gland.1
The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland that produces melatonin, a serotonin derived hormone. Melatonin affects the modulation of sleep patterns in both seasonal and circadian rhythms. It is tucked in a groove where the two halves of the thalamus join.
