Fastigial nucleus

The fastigial nucleus (German gables core ), and medial cerebellar nucleus, is a core area in the cerebellum.

Anatomy

The fastigial nucleus shows how all the cerebellar nuclei, preferably in the horizontal section. It is located in the medulla of the cerebellar vermis, is functionally closely with the bark of the flocculonodular lobe in conjunction and bilaterally with the vestibular nuclei and the reticular formation in the pons and medulla oblongata connected. The name derives from its medial position was at the highest point of the roof ( fastigium, lat = Gable ) of the fourth ventricle. Frequently his caudal portions are combined, so that the image of an "open V " is formed. Sometimes a distinction is made in the literature, a loosely -built lateral and medial built a compact core part.

Projections

Afferents receives the fastigial nucleus at its rostral pole of the anterior A- zone of the cerebellar vermis. The fibers from the caudal vermis project to the entire gable core. Furthermore, there are pyramidal afferents. In addition, Purkinje cells communicate by Folium vermis and fastigial Tuber visual stimuli in the caudal portions of the nuclei.

The fastigial nucleus projected on a smaller scale crossed fibers on the one hand ascending to the midbrain and diencephalon, on the other hand, at very low levels descending to the spinal cord. Furthermore, there are GABAergic neurons, the crossed fibers to the medial accessory olivary nucleus send.

A much larger proportion of its efferent system projected as fasciculus uncinate ( Russel - hook bundle) in the vestibular nuclei, the fibers cross in the rostral part of the commissure of the cerebellum, through the contralateral gable core and then hook-shaped conjunctivum run around the dorsolateral side of the brachium, and then at the border of the corpus and the corpus restiforme juxtarestiforme through the inferior cerebellar peduncle to go to their destination. In addition, there are fibers uncrossed by the corpus juxtarestiforme as Fibrae fastigiobulbares rectae of the inferior cerebellar peduncle vestibular get to the nuclei. Both crossed and uncrossed fibers terminate either vestibular nuclei in the media et inferior or drag it and terminate in the reticular formation.

Another small proportion of crossed fibers passes as uncinate fasciculus ascending via the superior cerebellar peduncle, for example, to tegmentum, periaquäduktalem gray or superior colliculus of the midbrain to the nucleus and posterior intralaminar nuclei of the other venterolateralis and thalamus.

Physiology

The fastigial nucleus innervates the nuclei of origin of the reticulospinal tract and the medial vestibulospinal tract. The ascending projection to the motor cortex via the thalamus connected him with the corticospinal tract through which the stem and proximal muscles of the body is controlled and regulated. Thus, the posture can be adapted to the body movement or set the motion for an appropriate posture.

The visual afferents are mediated through the gable nuclei on the contralateral reticular formation of the pons and midbrain and bilaterally on the upper lamina tecti. It is believed that arises about an adaptation to jerky eye movements.

Furthermore, there are projections to the nucleus of the vagus nerve parasolitarius, the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve to the raphe nuclei, the locus coeruleus and the periaqueductal gray, what visceromotor systems can be affected.