Tectospinal tract

Tectospinal tract
Tectospinal tract
Gray670.png
Diagram showing possible connection of long descending fibers from higher centers with the motor cells of the ventral column through association fibers. ("Tectospinal fasciculus" labeled at center right.)
Gray672.png
Diagram of the principal fasciculi of the spinal cord. ("Tectospinal fasciculus" labeled at center right, in red.)
Latin tractus tectospinalis
Gray's subject #185 760

In humans, the tectospinal tract (also known as colliculospinal tract) is a nerve pathway which coordinates head and eye movements. It is part of the indirect extrapyramidal tract. Specifically, the tectospinal tract connects the midbrain tectum and the spinal cord.

It is responsible for motor impulses that arise from one side of the midbrain to muscles on the opposite side of the body. The function of the tectospinal tract is to mediate reflex postural movements of the head in response to visual and auditory stimuli.

The portion of the midbrain from where this tract originates is the superior colliculus, which receives afferents from the visual nuclei (primarily the oculomotor nuclei complex), then projects to the contralateral (decussating ventral to the mesencephalic duct) and ipsilateral portion of the first cervical neuromeres of the spinal cord, the oculomotor and trochlear nuclei in the midbrain and the abducent nucleus in the caudal portion of the pons.

The tract descends to the cervical spinal cord to terminate in Rexed laminae VI, VII, and VIII to coordinate head, neck, and eye movements, primarily in response to visual stimuli.

See also

External links

v · d · eAnatomy of torso (primarily): the spinal cord (TA 14.1.02, GA 9.749)
External, dorsal
Posterior median sulcus · Posterolateral sulcus
Grey matter/
Rexed laminae
VII: Lateral horn
VIII–IX: Anterior horn
X: Other
Central gelatinous substance · Gray commissure
Central canal
White matter
somatic/
ascending
(blue)

Posterior/PCML: touch: Gracile · Cuneate

Lateral: proprioception: Spinocerebellar (Dorsal, Ventral) · pain/temp: Spinothalamic (Lateral, Anterior) · Posterolateral (Lissauer) · Spinotectal

Spinoreticular tract · Spino-olivary tract
motor/
descending
(red)
Lateral: Corticospinal (Lateral) · Ep (Rubrospinal, Olivospinal)
Anterior: Corticospinal (Anterior) · Ep (Vestibulospinal, Reticulospinal, Tectospinal)
both
External, ventral
Anterior median fissure · Anterolateral sulcus
External, general

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)
v · d · eHuman brain: mesencephalon (midbrain) (TA A14.1.06, GA 9.800)
Tectum
(Dorsal)
Surface
White: Sensory/ascending
White: Motor/descending
Tectospinal tract
Peduncle
(Ventral)
White: Sensory/ascending
lemnisci (Medial, Lateral) · Ascending MLF (Vestibulo-oculomotor fibers) · Spinothalamic tract · Anterior trigeminothalamic tract · Dentatothalamic tract
White: Motor/descending
Grey: other
Base
White: Motor/descending
Surface

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)
v · d · eBrain and spinal cord: neural tracts and fasciculi
Sensory/
ascending
Fast/lateral
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 → 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
Cerebellar
Afferent
Efferent
Bidirectional:
Spinocerebellar
Unc. prop.

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

M: PNS

anat(h/r/t/c/b/l/s/a)/phys(r)/devp/prot/nttr/nttm/ntrp

noco/auto/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1B)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • tectospinal tract — a tract that conveys nerve impulses from the midbrain, across the midline as it descends, to the spinal cord in the cervical (neck) region. It contains important motor neurone. * * * tractus tectospinalis …   Medical dictionary

  • tectospinal tract — a tract that conveys nerve impulses from the midbrain, across the midline as it descends, to the spinal cord in the cervical (neck) region. It contains important motor neurones …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • Тракт Тектоспинальный (Tectospinal Tract) — нисходящий экстрапирамидный путь, связывающий четверохолмие со спинным мозгом; передаст влияние подкорковых центров зрения и слуха на тонус скелетной мускулатуры и защитные рефлексы. Источник: Медицинский словарь …   Медицинские термины

  • tract — An elongated area, e.g., path, track, way. SEE ALSO: fascicle. SYN: tractus. [L. tractus, a drawing out] alimentary t. SYN: digestive t.. anterior corticospinal t. uncrossed fibers forming a small bundle in the anterior funiculus of the …   Medical dictionary

  • tectospinal — Denoting nerve fibers passing from the mesencephalic tectum to the spinal cord. * * * tec·to·spi·nal .tek tō spīn əl adj of, relating to, or being a tract of myelinated nerve fibers that mediate various visual and auditory reflexes and that… …   Medical dictionary

  • tectospinal — |tek(ˌ)tō+ adjective Etymology: New Latin tectum + English o + spinal : extending from the tectum of the midbrain to the spinal cord used especially of a tract of nerve fibers connecting these parts …   Useful english dictionary

  • Corticospinal tract — Pyramidal tract redirects here. This page refers to the nerve fibres underlying the pyramids. For the actual area of the brain, Pyramids, see Pyramid of medulla oblongata. Brain: Corticospinal tract Deep dissection of brain stem. Lateral view. (… …   Wikipedia

  • Corticobulbar tract — Brain: Corticobulbar tract Components and location of the corticobulbar tract. Latin tractus corticonuclearis NeuroNames …   Wikipedia

  • Dentatothalamic tract — Brain: Dentatothalamic tract Latin tractus dentatothalamicus NeuroNames hier 525 NeuroLex ID birnlex 1104 The dentatothalamic tract (or de …   Wikipedia

  • Dorsal spinocerebellar tract — Posterior spinocerebellar tract is labeled in blue at right …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”