Central tegmental tract

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 [edit on Wikidata]

The central tegmental tract^[1] is a structure in the midbrain and pons.

It contains:

• ascending second-order axons projecting from the gustatory nucleus^{[citation needed]} of nucleus solitarius^[2]: 112 to the ventral posteromedial nucleus^[2]: 473 of thalamus^[2]: 112 (third-order neurons in turn project to the gustatory cortex)
• descending rubroolivary fibers projecting from the parvocellular red nucleus to the ipsilateral inferior olivary nucleus^{[2]: 292, 298} (which in turn projects to the contralateral cerebellum via olivocerebellar fibers^[2]: 298)
• ascending^[2]: 306 reticulothalamic fibres^[2]: 112 projecting from the medial zone nuclei of the reticular formation to the hypothalamus (to mediate autonomic nervous system response), and the intralaminar thalamic nuclei^[2]: 306 (to mediate a startle response to pain^[2]: 112).

Lesion of the tract can cause palatal myoclonus, e.g. in myoclonic syndrome, in strokes of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery.

• 
  Horizontal section through the lower part of the pons. The central tegmental tract is labeled #16.
• 
  Tractography showing central tegmental tract

• Midbrain at Inferior Colliculus - IV Nucleus, Sectional Atlas
• Mid Pons at the Trigeminal Motor Nucleus, Sectional Atlas
• Neuroanatomy / plate12, Frank Willard