Gigantocellular reticular nucleus
| Gigantocellular reticular nucleus | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis |
| NeuroNames | 730 |
| NeuroLex ID | nlx_anat_1005001 |
| TA98 | A14.1.04.302 |
| TA2 | 6028 |
| FMA | 72576 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The gigantocellular reticular nucleus (also magnocellular reticular nucleus) is the (efferent/motor) medial zone of the reticular formation of the caudal pons and rostral medulla oblongata. It consists of a substantial number of giant neurons, but also contains small and medium sized neurons.[1]
It gives rise to the lateral (medullary) reticulospinal tract which influences muscle tone of limb and trunk muscles, is involved in coordination of head-eye movements, promotes parasympathetic reduction of heart rate to decrease blood pressure, induces inspiration, and participates in the descending pain-inhibiting pathway.
- ^ Patestas, Maria A.; Gartner, Leslie P. (2016). A Textbook of Neuroanatomy (2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 224, 306, 309–311. ISBN 978-1-118-67746-9.