Reticulotegmental nucleus
| Reticulotegmental nucleus | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis |
| NeuroNames | 568 |
| TA98 | A14.1.05.506 A14.1.05.211 |
| TA2 | 5952 |
| FMA | 72471 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
Thereticulotegmental nucleus,tegmental pontine reticular nucleus(orpontine reticular nucleus of the tegmentum) is an area within the floor of thepons,in the brain stem. This area is known to affect thecerebellumwith itsaxonalprojections.
These afferent connections have been proven to project not only ipsilaterally, but also todecussateand project to the contralateral side of thevermis.
It has also been shown that the projections from thepontine tegmentumto thecerebellar lobesare only crossed fibers.
The reticulotegmental nucleus also receives efferent axons from thecerebellum.
This nucleus is known for its large number ofmultipolar cellsand its particularly reticular structure.
The reticulotegmental nucleus is topographically related to pontine nuclei (non-reticular), being just dorsal to them.
The reticulotegmental nucleus has been known to mediate eye movements, otherwise known assaccadicmovement. This makes sense concerning their connections, as it would require a nucleus that receives and projects to the cerebellum to mediate that kind of complex circuitry. Furthermore, in terms of behavior, one does notthinkabout saccadic movements when scanning a room, as the saccadic movements are not directly controlled by the cortex.
The pontine nuclei are the most traditionally studied mostly because it is easy to see which nuclei degrade when the cerebellum is amputated.
The neurons of the lateral reticular formation are very important for reflexes and the mediation ofposture.It has been shown incatsthat electrical stimulation of the reticular formation can make a standing cat lie down. Also, stimulation of the cat in an alternative spot can make a lying cat stand.
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