Brain Stem and Cerebellum
Filip Barinka
Brain-stem
• Critically important part of the central
nervous system, contains centers that take
control of consciousness, cardiorespiratory
regulation and many important reflexes.
• Complex structure - contains different
groups of nuclei and fiber pathways.
Fiber pathways in brain stem
• Pathways beginning/terminating in brainstem
• Pathways passing through the brain stem
(but all of them give of collaterals to
structures in the brain stem).
2 -most important to learn- ascending pathways
Spino-bulbo-thalamo-cortical pathway
Spino-thalamic pathway
All these transversal sections with descriptions you can
find at our website.
The most important descending pathway
Lateral cortico-spinal
Anterior cortico-spinal
Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)
Somatic motor
Two groups can be
distinguished,
the medial one
and
the lateral one.
The lateral one is
described in englishwritten textbooks as
a special-visceral motor
group of nuclei.
Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)
Somatic motor
Visceral motor,
in english-written books
usually described as
general visceral motor
group.
Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)
Somatic motor
Visceral motor
Visceral afferent
Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)
Somatic motor
Visceral motor
Visceral afferent
Somatic afferent
Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)
Somatic motor
Visceral motor
You can find this picture also with describtion at our website.
Visceral afferent
Somatic afferent
Special somatic
afferent
Somatic afferent and somatic
motor nuclei of N. trigeminus
Proprioception from
masticatory muscles
Somatic motor fibers- masticatory muscles
Gentle touch sensitivity,
pressure,…
Pain and temperature
perception
Reticular formation
• Complex of interconnected nuclei and
smaller groups of neurons in the brain
stem.
• Roughly equivalent to Rexed laminas VII
and X in the spinal cord.
• Integrational and control center of many
basic life functions (consciousness, hart
rate, blood pressure, respiration,…) and
reflexes.
Reticular formation-subdivisions
• OBR
Rapheal- Nuclei raphea
Medial
Lateral
Cerebellum
• Center not only for movements
coordination.
Cerebellar afferents
• All schemes and descriptions in this
presentation are simplified. Please
understand this matherial only as a help to
your study, it does not cover everything
you need to know about this topic.