| 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 | 2204 |
| TA98 | A14.1.05.325 |
| TA2 | 5869 |
| FMA | 83850 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
Thecentral tegmental tract is atract that carries ascending and descending fibers, situated in themidbrain tegmentum, and thepontine tegmentum. The tract is situated in the central portion of thereticular formation.[1]
The central tegmental tract contains descending and ascending fibers. It runs from thered nucleus to the inferiorolivary nucleus.[2] In humans it is very small and runs ventral to thelateral corticospinal tract.[2]
Descending fibers of therubro-olivary tract project from theparvocellular red nucleus to the ipsilateralinferior olivary nucleus.[1][3] The inferior olivary nucleus projects to the contralateralcerebellum viaolivocerebellar fibers.[3] The rubro-olivary fibres descend through thesuperior cerebellar peduncle.[1]
Ascending fibers aresecond-order axons projecting from thegustatory nucleus (the rostral part of thesolitary nucleus] to theventral posteromedial nucleus ofthalamus[1][3] (third-order neurons in turn project to thegustatory cortex).
Ascending reticulothalamic fibres project from the medial zone nuclei of thereticular formation to thehypothalamus (to mediate autonomic nervous system response), and theintralaminar thalamic nuclei (to mediate a startle response to pain).[3]
Lesion of the tract can causepalatal myoclonus, e.g. inmyoclonic syndrome, in strokes of theposterior inferior cerebellar artery.[citation needed]
