01:146:245 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Vestibular Nuclei, Vestibulospinal Tract, Reticular Formation

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Cell Biology and Neuroscience
• Course: 01:146:245
• Professor: Professor Wilhelms

Document Summary

~upper motor neurons vestibular nuclei and reticular formation together control balance and posture. ~vestibular nuclei receive axons from 8th cranial nerve. Get info on position and acceleration of head. ~the upper motor neurons in vestibular nuclei descend onto medial parts of spinal cord. Some are also a little more lateral, to control proximal muscles for limbs. So there are two separate tracts medial and lateral vestibulospinal tracts. ~reticular formation is network of circuits going through the core of the brainstem. Complex, involved in a lot of functions including heart and respiratory control, sensory motor reflexes, sleep and arousal, etc. ~vestibular nucleus responds to signals from inner ear. ~rf nuclei respond to other nuclei in cortex/brainstem. ~motor cortex has direct and indirect pathways to spinal cord. ~indirect pathway goes to rf/vestibular apparatus to stabilize posture during the desired movement. ~for planning and initiation of sequences of voluntary movement. ~get input from basal ganglia and cerebellum, through relay from ventrolateral thalamus.