Reticulospinal tract
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Brain: Reticulospinal tract | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Reticulospinal tract is 2b, in red, near center. | ||
| NeuroNames | hier-802 | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | t_15/12817131 | |
The reticulospinal tract (or anterior reticulospinal tract) is an extrapyramidal motor tract which travels from the reticular formation.
The sensory tract conveying information in the opposite direction is known as the "spinoreticular tract".
The tract is divided into two parts, the medial (or pontine) and lateral (or medullary) reticulospinal tracts (MRST and LRST). The MRST is caudal to the Superior Colliculus and is responsible for extensor muscles. The fibers of this tract arise from the caudal pontine reticular nucleus and the oral pontine reticular nucleus and project to the lamina VII and lamina VIII of the spinal cord (BrainInfo)
The LRST is rostral to the Superior Colliculus and is responsible for the flexor muscles. The fibers of this tract arise from the medullary reticular formation, mostly from the gigantocellular nucleus, and descend the length of the spinal cord in the anterior part of the lateral column. The tract terminates in the gray spinal laminae (BrainInfo).
If the Superior Colliculus is damaged, it is called decerebration and causes decerebate rigidity.
External links
- BrainInfo reticulospinal tract[1], pontine reticulospinal tract [2], and medullary reticulospinal tract[3]</a>.
- http://www.lib.mcg.edu/edu/eshuphysio/program/section8/8ch6/s8ch6_29.htm
- http://www.mona.uwi.edu/fpas/courses/physiology/neurophysiology/The%20Reticulospinal%20Pathway.htm
