The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a compact but neurophenotypically complex structure in the ventral forebrain that is structurally and functionally linked to other limbic structures, including the amygdala nuclear complex, hypothalamic nuclei, hippocampus and related midbrain structures, to participate in emotion, emotional learning and stress-related responses.
Chemoarchitecture of the BNST: neurophenotypic diversity and function; Sayamwong E. Hammack, Karen M. Braas, and Victor May https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8436143/#:~:text=The%20bed%20nucleus%20of%20the,related%20midbrain%20structures%2C%20to%20participate