The vestibular nuclei (VN) are the
cranial nuclei for the
vestibular nerve located in the
brainstem.
In
Terminologia Anatomica
''Terminologia Anatomica'' is the international standard for human anatomical terminology. It is developed by the Federative International Programme on Anatomical Terminology, a program of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomi ...
they are grouped in both the
pons and the
medulla in the
brainstem.
Structure
Path
The fibers of the vestibular nerve enter the
medulla oblongata
The medulla oblongata or simply medulla is a long stem-like structure which makes up the lower part of the brainstem. It is anterior and partially inferior to the cerebellum. It is a cone-shaped neuronal mass responsible for autonomic (invol ...
on the medial side of those of the cochlear, and pass between the inferior peduncle and the spinal tract of the
trigeminal nerve.
They then divide into ascending and descending fibers. The latter end by arborizing around the cells of the medial nucleus, which is situated in the area acustica of the
rhomboid fossa. The ascending fibers either end in the same manner or in the
lateral nucleus, which is situated lateral to the area acustica and farther from the ventricular floor.
Some of the axons of the cells of the lateral nucleus, and possibly also of the
medial nucleus
The medial vestibular nucleus (Schwalbe nucleus) is one of the vestibular nuclei. It is located in the medulla oblongata.
Lateral vestibulo-spinal tract (lateral vestibular nucleus “Deiters”)- via ventrolateral medulla and spinal cord to ven ...
, are continued upward through the inferior peduncle to the roof nuclei of the opposite side of the
cerebellum, to which also other fibers of the vestibular root are prolonged without interruption in the nuclei of the medulla oblongata.
A second set of fibers from the medial and lateral nuclei end partly in the
tegmentum
The tegmentum (from Latin for "covering") is a general area within the brainstem. The tegmentum is the ventral part of the midbrain and the tectum is the dorsal part of the midbrain. It is located between the ventricular system and distinctive ba ...
, while the remainder ascend in the medial longitudinal fasciculus to arborize around the cells of the nuclei of the
oculomotor nerve.
Fibers from the lateral vestibular nucleus also pass via the
vestibulospinal tract, to anterior horn cells at many levels in the spinal cord, in order to co-ordinate head and trunk movements.
Subnuclei
There are 4 subnuclei; they are situated at the floor of the
fourth ventricle.
See also
*
Vestibular nerve
*
Vestibulocerebellar syndrome
References
External links
*
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080405062814/http://www.lib.mcg.edu/edu/eshuphysio/program/section8/8ch6/s8ch6_29.htm
Parkinson.org
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Cranial nerve nuclei