Central tegmental tract

Brain: Central tegmental tract

Diagram of the midbrain, sectioned at the level of the superior colliculus (Central tegmental tract not labeled, but region is visible.)

Axial section of the Brainstem (Pons) at the level of the Facial Colliculus (Central tegmental tract not labeled, but region is visible.)
NeuroNames	ancil-718

The central tegmental tract is a structure in the midbrain and pons.

The central tegmental tract includes ascending axonal fibers that arise from the caudal nucleus solitarius and terminate in the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) of thalamus. Information from the thalamus will go to cortical taste area, namely the insula and frontal operculum.

It also contains descending axonal fibers from the parvocellular red nucleus. The descending axons will project to the inferior olivary nucleus. This latter pathway (the rubro-olivary tract) will be used to connect the contralateral cerebellum.

Lesion of the tract can cause palatal myoclonus, e.g. in myoclonic syndrome, itself a symptom of medial superior pontine syndrome: a form of stroke affecting the paramedian branches of the upper basilar artery.

Additional Images

External links

Blumenfeld, Hal, "Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases" Sinauer Associates, Inc. 2002</ref>

Human brain: rhombencephalon, myelencephalon: medulla (TA A14.1.04, GA 9.767)

Dorsal

Surface	Posterior median sulcus · Posterolateral sulcus · Area postrema · Vagal trigone · Hypoglossal trigone · Medial eminence

Grey: Cranial nuclei	afferent: GVA: VII,IX,X: Solitary/tract/Dorsal respiratory group · SVA: Gustatory nucleus · GSA: VIII-v (Lateral, Medial, Inferior) efferent: GSE: XII · GVE: IX,X,XI: Ambiguus · SVE: X: Dorsal · IX: Inferior salivatory nucleus

Grey: other	Gracile nucleus · Cuneate nucleus · Accessory cuneate nucleus

White: Sensory/ascending	Sensory decussation · Medial lemniscus · Inferior cerebellar peduncle (Juxtarestiform body) · Ascending dorsal longitudinal fasciculus · MLF, III, IV and VI

White: Motor/descending	Descending dorsal longitudinal fasciculus · MLF, III, IV and VI

Ventral

White: Motor/descending	Motor decussation · Olivocerebellar tract · Rubro-olivary tract

Grey matter	Ventral respiratory group · Arcuate nucleus of medulla · Inferior olivary nucleus · Rostral ventromedial medulla

Surface	Anterior median fissure · Anterolateral sulcus · Olive · Pyramid

Grey: Raphe/
reticular

Reticular formation (Gigantocellular, Parvocellular, Ventral, Lateral, Paramedian) · Raphe nuclei (Obscurus, Magnus, Pallidus)

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

Human brain, rhombencephalon, metencephalon: pons (TA A14.1.05.101–604, GA 9.785)

Dorsal/
(tegmentum)

Surface	Cerebellopontine angle · Superior medullary velum · Sulcus limitans · Medial eminence · Facial colliculus

White: Sensory/ascending	Trapezoid body/VIII · Trigeminal lemniscus (Dorsal trigeminal tract, Ventral trigeminal tract) · Medial lemniscus · Lateral lemniscus MLF, III, IV and VI: Vestibulo-oculomotor fibers Anterior trigeminothalamic tract · Central tegmental tract

White: Motor/descending	ICP (Vestibulocerebellar tract) MLF, III, IV and VI: Vestibulospinal tract (Medial vestibulospinal tract, Lateral vestibulospinal tract)

Grey: Cranial nuclei	afferent: GSA: Principal V/Spinal V · VIII-c (Dorsal, Anterior)/VIII-v (Superior) efferent: SVE: Motor V · VII · GSE: VI · GVE: VII: Superior salivary nucleus

Other grey	Apneustic center · Pneumotaxic center (Medial parabrachial nucleus) · Lateral parabrachial nucleus · Superior olivary nucleus · Caerulean nucleus

Ventral/
(base)

Grey	Pontine nuclei

White: Motor/descending	Corticospinal tract · Corticobulbar tract · Corticopontine fibers MCP (Pontocerebellar fibers)

Surface	Basilar sulcus

Other grey: Raphe/
reticular

Reticular formation (Caudal, Oral, Tegmental, Paramedian) · Raphe nuclei (Median)

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

Human brain: mesencephalon (midbrain) (TA A14.1.06, GA 9.800)

Tectum
(Dorsal)

Surface	Corpora quadrigemina: Inferior colliculi (Brachium of inferior colliculus), Superior colliculi (Brachium of superior colliculus)

Grey matter	Pretectal area

White: Sensory/ascending	Spinotectal tract · Central tegmental tract

White: Motor/descending	Tectospinal tract

Peduncle
(Ventral)

Tegmentum

White: Sensory/ascending	lemnisci (Medial, Lateral) · Ascending MLF (Vestibulo-oculomotor fibers) · Spinothalamic tract · Anterior trigeminothalamic tract · Dentatothalamic tract

White: Motor/descending	Rubrospinal tract · Rubro-olivary tract · Descending MLF

Grey: cranial nuclei	GSA (V: Mesencephalic) - GSE (III: Oculomotor, IV: Trochlear) - GVE (III: Edinger-Westphal)

Grey: other	Periaqueductal gray/Raphe nuclei (Dorsal raphe nucleus) Ventral tegmental area • Pedunculopontine nucleus • Red nucleus riMLF

Ventricular system	Cerebral aqueduct

Base

White: Motor/descending	Cerebral crus: Corticospinal tract · Corticobulbar tract · Corticopontine tract/Frontopontine fibers/Temporopontine fibers

Grey: Substantia nigra	Pars compacta · Pars reticulata

Surface	Superior cerebellar peduncle (Decussation of superior cerebellar peduncles) · Interpeduncular fossa

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

Sensory system: Gustatory system (TA 15.4, GA 10.991)

Tongue

Taste bud (Vallate papilla, Foliate papilla, Fungiform papilla) · Filiform papilla

Path

medulla: Solitary tract (VII, IX, X) · Solitary nucleus (Gustatory nucleus)

pons: Central tegmental tract · Parabrachial nucleus (Hypothalamus, Amygdala)

thalamus: Ventral posteromedial nucleus

cerebrum: Posterior limb of internal capsule · Gustatory cortex

Other

Basic tastes

M: TST

anat, phys

sysi

–

Brain and spinal cord: neural tracts and fasciculi

Sensory/
ascending

PCML

1°: Pacinian corpuscle/Meissner's corpuscle → Gracile fasciculus/Cuneate fasciculus → Gracile nucleus/Cuneate nucleus

2°: → sensory decussation/arcuate fibers (Posterior external arcuate fibers, Internal arcuate fibers) → Medial lemniscus/Trigeminal lemniscus → Thalamus (VPL, VPM)

3°: → Posterior limb of internal capsule → Postcentral gyrus

Anterolateral/
pain

Fast/lateral	1° (Free nerve ending → A delta fiber) → 2° (Anterior white commissure → Lateral and Anterior Spinothalamic tract → Spinal lemniscus → VPL of Thalamus) → 3° (Postcentral gyrus) → 4° (Posterior parietal cortex) 2° (Spinotectal tract → Superior colliculus of Midbrain tectum)

Slow/medial	1° (Group C nerve fiber → Spinoreticular tract → Reticular formation) → 2° (MD of Thalamus) → 3° (Cingulate cortex)

Motor/
descending

Pyramidal	flexion: Primary motor cortex → Posterior limb of internal capsule → Decussation of pyramids → Corticospinal tract (Lateral, Anterior) → Neuromuscular junction

Extrapyramidal	flexion: Primary motor cortex → Genu of internal capsule → Corticobulbar tract → Facial motor nucleus → Facial muscles flexion: Red nucleus → Rubrospinal tract extension: Vestibulocerebellum → Vestibular nuclei → Vestibulospinal tract extension: Vestibulocerebellum → Reticular formation → Reticulospinal tract Midbrain tectum → Tectospinal tract → muscles of neck

Basal ganglia	direct: 1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPi) → 3° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 4° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 5° (Motor cortex) indirect: 1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPe) → 3° (Subthalamic fasciculus → Subthalamic nucleus) → 4° (Subthalamic fasciculus → GPi) → 5° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 6° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 7° (Motor cortex) nigrostriatal pathway: Pars compacta → Striatum

Cerebellar

Afferent

Vestibular nucleus → Vestibulocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellum → Granule cell

Pontine nuclei → Pontocerebellar fibers → MCP → Deep cerebellar nuclei → Granule cell

Inferior olivary nucleus → Olivocerebellar tract → ICP → Hemisphere → Purkinje cell → Deep cerebellar nuclei

Efferent

Dentate nucleus in Lateral hemisphere/pontocerebellum → SCP → Dentatothalamic tract → Thalamus (VL) → Motor cortex

Interposed nucleus in Intermediate hemisphere/spinocerebellum → SCP → Reticular formation, or → Cerebellothalamic tract → Red nucleus → Thalamus (VL) → Motor cortex

Fastigial nucleus in Flocculonodular lobe/vestibulocerebellum → Vestibulocerebellar tract → Vestibular nucleus

Bidirectional:
Spinocerebellar

Unc. prop.	lower limb → 1° (muscle spindles → DRG) → 2° (Posterior thoracic nucleus → Dorsal/posterior spinocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellar vermis) upper limb → 1° (muscle spindles → DRG) → 2° (Accessory cuneate nucleus → Cuneocerebellar tract → ICP → Anterior lobe of cerebellum)

Reflex arc	lower limb → 1° (Golgi tendon organ) → 2° (Ventral/anterior spinocerebellar tract→ SCP → Cerebellar vermis) upper limb → 1° (Golgi tendon organ) → 2° (Rostral spinocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellum)

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

M: PNS

anat(h/r/t/c/b/l/s/a)/phys(r)/devp/prot/nttr/nttm/ntrp

noco/auto/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1B)