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 brain- stem

• Pathways passing through the brain stem (but all of them give of collaterals to structures in the brain stem).

Spino-bulbo-thalamo-cortical pathway2 -most important to learn- ascending pathways

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 oneandthe lateral one.The lateral one is described in english-written 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 booksusually described as general visceral motor group.

Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)

Somatic motorVisceral motor

Visceral afferent

Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)

Somatic motorVisceral motor

Visceral afferentSomatic afferent

Cranial nerve nuclei (dorsal view of the brain stem)

Somatic motorVisceral motor

Visceral afferentSomatic afferentSpecial somatic afferent

You can find this picture also with describtion at our website.

Proprioception frommasticatory muscles

Somatic motor fibers- masti-catory musclesGentle touch sensitivity, pressure,…

Pain and temperatureperception

Somatic afferent and somaticmotor nuclei of N. trigeminus

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

• OBRRapheal- 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.