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Robotic Spine Universe

Pathways

Anterior corticospinal tract

Voluntary control of the trunk

The smaller part of the corticospinal tract that does not cross in the medulla. It runs down the front of the cord and serves the muscles of the trunk, which work on both sides of the body.

Drawn for the left side of the body. Schematic route through the model’s landmarks; the pulse speed is illustrative.

Route

served sideother sideCortexDeep brainMidbrainPonsMedullaSpinal cordBody12345678

Step by step

  1. Primary motor cortex · other side
  2. Internal capsule · other side
  3. Cerebral peduncle · other side
  4. Pons · other side
  5. Medulla: does not cross here · other side
  6. Anterior corticospinal tract · other side
  7. Ventral horn, both sides · both sides · synapse
  8. Trunk muscles · both sides

Schematic Filled circles: synapses. X: the pathway crosses the midline. Numbers match the list.

Where it runs in the cord (T6)

left fasciculus gracilisright fasciculus gracilisleft fasciculus cuneatusright fasciculus cuneatusleft lateral corticospinal tractright lateral corticospinal tractleft ventral spinocerebellar tractright ventral spinocerebellar tractleft rubrospinal tractright rubrospinal tractleft spinal lemniscusright spinal lemniscusleft spino-olivary tractright spino-olivary tractleft ventrolateral reticulospinal tractright ventrolateral reticulospinal tractleft lateral vestibulospinal tractright lateral vestibulospinal tractleft ventral reticulospinal tractright ventral reticulospinal tractleft ventral corticospinal tractright ventral corticospinal tractleft tectospinal tractright tectospinal tractleft medial longitudinal fasciculusright medial longitudinal fasciculusleft ventral hornright ventral hornleft intermediate zoneright intermediate zoneleft dorsal hornright dorsal hornAnteriorPosteriorLR
  • Ascending (sensory)
  • Corticospinal (motor)
  • Other descending
  • Grey matter
Regions in this section (text list)
  • left fasciculus gracilis (spared)
  • right fasciculus gracilis (spared)
  • left fasciculus cuneatus (spared)
  • right fasciculus cuneatus (spared)
  • left lateral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • right lateral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • left ventral spinocerebellar tract (spared)
  • right ventral spinocerebellar tract (spared)
  • left rubrospinal tract (spared)
  • right rubrospinal tract (spared)
  • left spinal lemniscus (spared)
  • right spinal lemniscus (spared)
  • left spino-olivary tract (spared)
  • right spino-olivary tract (spared)
  • left ventrolateral reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • right ventrolateral reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • left lateral vestibulospinal tract (spared)
  • right lateral vestibulospinal tract (spared)
  • left ventral reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • right ventral reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • left ventral corticospinal tract (focus)
  • right ventral corticospinal tract (focus)
  • left tectospinal tract (spared)
  • right tectospinal tract (spared)
  • left medial longitudinal fasciculus (spared)
  • right medial longitudinal fasciculus (spared)
  • left ventral horn (spared)
  • right ventral horn (spared)
  • left intermediate zone (spared)
  • right intermediate zone (spared)
  • left dorsal horn (spared)
  • right dorsal horn (spared)

Highlighted: the region of the PAM50 white-matter atlas for this pathway, on both sides of the cord. A lesion here takes away what it carries below the level, on the side its fibres serve at that point.

Cut it on the left in the lesion explorer

What the sources say

“The anterior corticospinal tract is responsible for controlling the muscles of the body trunk (see Figure 14.28).” Betts et al. 2022, §14.3
“Because movements of the body trunk involve both sides of the body, the anterior corticospinal tract is not entirely contralateral.” Betts et al. 2022, §14.3

Sources: Betts et al. 2022, §14.3