Basal ganglia and white matter tracts lateral to the thalamus.  For orientation, the globus pallidus is deep and medial in this image. Just lateral to the globus pallidus is the putamen, and the internal capsule fibers course medial and superior to the globus pallidus and putamen. Lateral to the putamen is the external capsule, carrying association fibers from the basal forebrain to the cortex. The claustrum is just lateral to the external capsule and is a thin sheet of white matter corticocortical association fibers including the IFOF and uncinate fasciculus. The extreme capsule is farther lateral, and just medial to the insula. (Image courtesy of AL Rhoton, Jr.)