The word thalamus means a room or a chamber. The thalamus is a large, dual lobed mass of gray matter cells located at the top of the brainstem, above the hypothalamus. Situated between the cerebral cortex and midbrain, connecting them neurologically, its function includes motor control, Receiving Auditory, and Visual Sensory Signals and relaying sensory signals to the cerebral cortex. The thalamus is part of the limbic system, the area of the brain attributed to handling emotions.