The central tegmental tractKamali A, Kramer LA, Butler IJ, Hasan KM. Diffusion tensor tractography of the somatosensory system in the human brainstem: initial findings using high isotropic spatial resolution at 3.0 T. Eur Radiol. 2009 19:1480-8. doi: 10.1007/s00330-009-1305-x. is a structure in the

midbrain The midbrain or mesencephalon is the forward-most portion of the brainstem and is associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wakefulness, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation. The name comes from the Greek ''mesos'', " ...

and

pons The pons (from Latin , "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other bipeds lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata and anterior to the cerebellum. The pons is also called the pons Varolii ("bridge of Va ...

. * The central tegmental tract includes ''ascending'' axonal fibers that arise from the rostral nucleus solitarius and terminate in the

ventral posteromedial nucleus The ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) is a nucleus of the thalamus. Inputs and outputs The VPM contains synapses between second and third order neurons from the anterior (ventral) trigeminothalamic tract and posterior (dorsal) trigeminothalami ...

(VPM) of thalamus. Information from the thalamus will go to cortical

taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...

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 The inferior olivary nucleus (ION), is a structure found in the medulla oblongata underneath the superior olivary nucleus.Gado, Thomas A. Woolsey; Joseph Hanaway; Mokhtar H. (2003). The brain atlas a visual guide to the human central nervous syste ...

. This latter pathway (the rubro-olivary tract) will be used to connect the contralateral

cerebellum The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebel ...

. Lesion of the tract can cause

palatal myoclonus Palatal myoclonus is a rare condition in which there are rhythmic jerky movements or a rapid spasm of the palatal (roof of the mouth) muscles. Chronic clonus is often due to lesions of the central tegmental tract (which connects the red nucleus to ...

, e.g. in myoclonic syndrome, in strokes of the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery.

Additional Images

File:Lower pons horizontal KB.svg, Horizontal section through the lower part of the pons. The central tegmental tract is labeled #16. File:Central Tegmental Tract.jpg, Tractography showing central tegmental tract

References

External links

Midbrain at Inferior Colliculus - IV Nucleus
Sectional Atlas
Mid Pons at the Trigeminal Motor Nucleus
Sectional Atlas

Frank Willard {{Authority control Central nervous system pathways Brainstem