Central tegmental tract

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.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	Tractus tegmentalis centralis
NeuroNames	ancil-718
TA	A14.1.05.325
FMA	83850
*Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy* [edit on Wikidata]

The central tegmental tract^[1] is a structure in the midbrain and pons.

The central tegmental tract includes ascending axonal fibers that arise from the rostral 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

Horizontal section through the lower part of the pons. The central tegmental tract is labeled #16.

References

↑ Kamali 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. PMID 19189108

External links

Anatomy of the medulla

Grey matter

Cranial nuclei

afferent:	Solitary nucleus tract Dorsal respiratory group Gustatory nucleus Vestibular nuclei Lateral Medial Inferior

efferent:	Hypoglossal nucleus Nucleus ambiguus Dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve Inferior salivatory nucleus

Dorsal

Ventral

White matter

Dorsal	Sensory Sensory decussation Medial lemniscus Juxtarestiform body Ascending dorsal longitudinal fasciculus Medial longitudinal fasciculus Motor Descending dorsal longitudinal fasciculus Medial longitudinal fasciculus

Ventral	Descending tracts Olivocerebellar tract Rubro-olivary tract

Surface

Front	Pyramid decussation Anterior median fissure Anterolateral sulcus Olive Inferior olivary nucleus

Back	Posterior median sulcus Posterolateral sulcus Area postrema Vagal trigone Hypoglossal trigone Medial eminence Inferior cerebellar peduncle

Grey

Anatomy of the pons

Dorsal/
(tegmentum)

Surface

White: Sensory

Medial longitudinal fasciculus
- Vestibulo-oculomotor fibers

White: Motor

Grey: Cranial nuclei

afferent:	GSA Trigeminal Principal Spinal Cochlear nucleus Dorsal Anterior Vestibular nuclei Superior

efferent:	SVE: Trigeminal motor nucleus Facial motor nucleus GSE: Abducens nucleus GVE: Superior salivary nucleus Inferior salivary nucleus

Other	Apneustic center Parabrachial area Pneumotaxic center Subparabrachial nucleus 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

Anatomy of the midbrain

Tectum
(Dorsal)

Surface	Corpora quadrigemina: Inferior colliculus Brachium Superior colliculus Brachium

Grey matter	Pretectal area

White: Sensory/ascending	Spinotectal tract Central tegmental tract

White: Motor/descending	Tectospinal tract

Peduncle
(Ventral)

Tegmentum

White: Sensory/ascending

White: Motor/descending

Grey: cranial nuclei

Grey: other

Periaqueductal gray Raphe nuclei dorsal

Ventral tegmental area Pedunculopontine nucleus Red nucleus

Rostral interstitial nucleus of medial longitudinal fasciculus

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 Interpeduncular fossa

Anatomy of taste

Tongue

Path

medulla	Solitary tract VII IX X Solitary nucleus Gustatory nucleus

pons	Central tegmental tract Medial parabrachial nucleus Hypothalamus Amygdala

thalamus	Ventral posteromedial nucleus

cerebrum	Posterior limb of internal capsule Gustatory cortex

Other

Basic tastes

Brain and spinal cord: neural tracts and fasciculi

Sensory/
ascending

PCML

1°:	Pacinian corpuscle/Meissner's corpuscle → Posterior column (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° (Spinomesencephalic 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 nuclei → 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 nuclei

Bidirectional:
Spinocerebellar

Unconscious proprioception	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)

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