Lateral vestibulospinal tract

Lateral vestibulospinal tract
Vestibulospinal tract is 2c, in red at bottom center.
Diagram of the principal fasciculi of the spinal cord.
Details
Identifiers
Latin	tractus vestibulospinalis lateralis
TA98	A14.1.02.206 A14.1.04.131
TA2	6113
FMA	73974
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy[edit on Wikidata]

The lateral vestibulospinal tract is one of the descending spinal tracts of the ventromedial funiculus.

The lateral part of the vestibulospinal tract is the major portion and is composed of fibers originating in the lateral, superior, and inferior vestibular nuclei (primarily the lateral). It projects ipsilaterally down to the lumbar region of the spinal cord. There it helps to maintain an upright and balanced posture by stimulating extensor motor neurons in the legs. It also innervates muscles of the trunk, thus additionally aiding in body posture. The lateral vestibular nuclei receive input from cerebellum, particularly the vestibulocerebellum, or the flocculi and nodulus. The cerebellum aids in coordinating postural adjustments.

Posterior grey column	Marginal nucleus Substantia gelatinosa of Rolando Nucleus proprius Rexed lamina V Rexed lamina VI
Lateral grey column	Intermediolateral nucleus Posterior thoracic nucleus
Anterior grey column	Interneuron Alpha motor neuron Onuf's nucleus Gamma motor neuron
Other	Rexed laminae Central gelatinous substance Gray commissure

White matter

Sensory

Posterior	Posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway Gracile Cuneate
Lateral	Spinocerebellar dorsal ventral Spinothalamic lateral anterior Posterolateral Spinotectal
Anterior	Spinoreticular tract Spino-olivary tract

Motor

Lateral	Corticospinal Lateral Extrapyramidal Rubrospinal Raphespinal Reticulospinal Hypothalamospinal
Anterior	Corticospinal Anterior Extrapyramidal Vestibulospinal Reticulospinal Tectospinal Raphespinal Olivospinal

Both

Anterior white commissure

External features

Ventral
- Anterior median fissure
- Anterolateral sulcus
Dorsal
- Posterior median sulcus
- Posterolateral sulcus

Anatomy of the pons

Dorsal/
(tegmentum)

Surface

White: Sensory

White: Motor

Grey: Cranial nuclei

afferent:	GSA Trigeminal Principal Spinal Cochlear nucleus Dorsal Anterior Vestibular nuclei Superior
efferent:	SVE: Trigeminal motor nucleus Facial motor nucleus GSE: Abducens nucleus GVE: Superior salivary nucleus Inferior salivary nucleus

Grey: Other nuclei

Ventral/
(base)

Grey	Pontine nuclei
White: Motor/descending	Corticospinal tract Corticobulbar tract Corticopontine fibers MCP Pontocerebellar fibers
Surface	Basilar sulcus

Other grey: Raphe/
reticular

Brain and spinal cord: neural tracts and fasciculi

Sensory

DCML

1°:	Pacinian corpuscle/Meissner's corpuscle → Posterior column (Gracile fasciculus/Cuneate fasciculus) → Gracile nucleus/Cuneate nucleus
2°:	→ sensory decussation/arcuate fibers (Posterior external arcuate fibers, Internal arcuate fibers) → Medial lemniscus/Trigeminal lemniscus → Thalamus (VPL, VPM)
3°:	→ Posterior limb of internal capsule → Postcentral gyrus

Anterolateral/
pain

Fast/lateral

1° (Free nerve ending → A delta fiber) → 2° (Anterior white commissure → Lateral and Anterior Spinothalamic tract → Spinal lemniscus → VPL of Thalamus) → 3° (Postcentral gyrus) → 4° (Posterior parietal cortex)

2° (Spinomesencephalic tract → Superior colliculus of Midbrain tectum)

Slow/medial

1° (Group C nerve fiber → Spinoreticular tract → Reticular formation) → 2° (MD of Thalamus) → 3° (Cingulate cortex)

Motor

Pyramidal

flexion: Primary motor cortex → Posterior limb of internal capsule → Decussation of pyramids → Corticospinal tract (Lateral, Anterior) → Neuromuscular junction

Extrapyramidal

flexion:	Primary motor cortex → Genu of internal capsule → Corticobulbar tract → Facial motor nucleus → Facial muscles
flexion:	Red nucleus → Rubrospinal tract
extension:	Vestibulocerebellum → Vestibular nuclei → Vestibulospinal tract
extension:	Vestibulocerebellum → Reticular formation → Reticulospinal tract
Midbrain tectum → Tectospinal tract → muscles of neck

Basal ganglia

direct:	1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPi) → 3° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 4° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 5° (Motor cortex)
indirect:	1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPe) → 3° (Subthalamic fasciculus → Subthalamic nucleus) → 4° (Subthalamic fasciculus → GPi) → 5° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 6° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 7° (Motor cortex)
nigrostriatal pathway:	Pars compacta → Striatum