Rostral interstitial nucleus of medial longitudinal fasciculus

Rostral interstitial nucleus of medial longitudinal fasciculus
Axial section through mid-brain. (Nucleus is not labeled, but MLF is "b", in red.)
Details
Identifiers
Latinnucleus interstitialis
NeuroNames516
NeuroLex IDbirnlex_1481
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The rostral interstitial nucleus of medial longitudinal fasciculus (riMLF) is a collection of neurons in the medial longitudinal fasciculus in the midbrain.[1] It is responsible for mediating vertical conjugate eye movements (vertical gaze)[1][2]: 458.e1  and vertical saccades.[3]: 122  It mostly projects efferents to the ipsilateral oculomotor and trochlear nuclei.[2]: 458.e1 

To mediate downgaze, it projects efferents to the ipsilateral oculomotor nucleus and trochlear nucleus; mediate upgaze,[2]: 777-778  it projects efferents to the contralateral aforementioned nuclei[3]: 122  through the posterior commissure.[2]: 777-778 

It is one of the accessory oculomotor nuclei.[3]: 156 

Anatomy

Structure

The riMLF is a wing-shaped nucleus.[2]: 458.e1 

The riMLF contains two populations of neurons: excitatory burst neurons mediating vertical gaze/saccades, as well as omnipause neurons which are functionally similar to those mediating horizontal gaze.[2]: 1464.e17 

Relations

It is situated at the caudal extremity of the mesencephalon[1] at its junction with the telencephalon,[3]: 156  at the level of the superior colliculus.[1] It is situated dorsal to the rostral extremity of the red nucleus, and rostral to the interstitial nucleus of Cajal.[2]: 458.e1 

Clinical significance

Lesions of the riMLF may impair vertical gaze completely, or predominately impair downgaze.[2]: 778  Lesions of the posterior commissure meanwhile disrupt upgaze.[2]: 1464.e17 

See also

  • Interstitial nucleus of Cajal - another structure involved in vertical gaze (including torsional gaze and gaze holding, but not saccades).
  • Paramedian pontine reticular formation - the horizontal gaze center.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Patestas, Maria A.; Gartner, Leslie P. (2016). A Textbook of Neuroanatomy (2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-118-67746-9.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Standring, Susan (2020). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (42th ed.). New York: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-7020-7707-4. OCLC 1201341621.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Kiernan, John A.; Rajakumar, Nagalingam (2013). Barr's The Human Nervous System: An Anatomical Viewpoint (10th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-1-4511-7327-7.


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