Endorestiform nucleus is a
nucleus
Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to:
*Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom
* Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA
Nucl ...
present within the
inferior cerebellar peduncle
The upper part of the posterior district of the medulla oblongata is occupied by the inferior cerebellar peduncle, a thick rope-like strand situated between the lower part of the fourth ventricle and the roots of the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerv ...
of
human brains
The human brain is the central organ of the human nervous system, and with the spinal cord makes up the central nervous system. The brain consists of the cerebrum, the brainstem and the cerebellum. It controls most of the activities of t ...
. It was discovered by
George Paxinos and his team at
Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA). Paxinos had suspected the existence of the endorestiform nucleus for approximately 30 years. However, it was not until 2018 that he has been able to confirm its presence due to advances in staining and imaging techniques. The region is not present in
rhesus monkey
The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies that are split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally b ...
s and may be unique to humans.
Etymology
The name ''endorestiform'' is derived from the fact that the nucleus is present within (''endo'') the inferior cerebellar peduncle ( ''restiform'' body).
Function
Given that the endorestiform nucleus is located in the inferior cerebellar peduncle, it is thought that it might be involved in fine
motor control
Motor control is the regulation of movement in organisms that possess a nervous system. Motor control includes reflexes as well as directed movement.
To control movement, the nervous system must integrate multimodal sensory information (both f ...
. According to
George Paxinos, its discovery might help researchers find cures for disorders such as
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
and
motor neuron disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...
.
See also
*
Rosehip neuron, a type of neuron discovered in 2018 which is present uniquely in human.
References
External links
George Paxinos talking about his discovery
{{Neuroanatomy-stub
Brainstem nuclei