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Robotic Spine Universe

Pathways

Reticulospinal tracts

Posture, muscle tone and autonomic influence

The reticular formation, a diffuse network of grey matter in the brainstem, sends axons down the cord that help set muscle tone and influence autonomic functions.

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 cordBody123

Step by step

  1. Reticular formation (brainstem) · both sides
  2. Reticulospinal tracts · both sides
  3. Ventral horn and interneurons · both sides · synapse

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

Where it runs in the cord (T10)

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 reticulospinal tractright medial reticulospinal 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 (focus)
  • right ventrolateral reticulospinal tract (focus)
  • left lateral vestibulospinal tract (spared)
  • right lateral vestibulospinal tract (spared)
  • left ventral reticulospinal tract (focus)
  • right ventral reticulospinal tract (focus)
  • left ventral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • right ventral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • left tectospinal tract (spared)
  • right tectospinal tract (spared)
  • left medial reticulospinal tract (focus)
  • right medial reticulospinal tract (focus)
  • 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 reticulospinal tract connects the reticular system, a diffuse region of gray matter in the brain stem, with the spinal cord.” Betts et al. 2022, §14.3
“The reticulospinal tract also contributes to muscle tone and influences autonomic functions.” Betts et al. 2022, §14.3

Sources: Betts et al. 2022, §14.3