Reticular formation and Limbic system – Snells 324 Afferent Projections

 Limbic system was a term loosely used to  From the spinal cord, there are the
describe the part of the brain between the spinoreticular tracts, the spinothalamic tracts,
cerebral cortex and the hypothalamus, a little and the medial lemniscus.
understood area of the brain  From the cranial nerve nuclei, there are
 known to play a vital role in emotion, behavior, ascending afferent tracts, which include the:
drive, and memory o Vestibular
o Acoustic
Reticular formation
o visual pathways
 resembles a net (reticular) that is made up of  From the cerebellum, there is the
nerve cells and nerve fibers. cerebelloreticular pathway
 The net extends up through the axis of the  From the subthalamic, hypothalamic, and
central nervous system from the spinal cord to thalamic nuclei and from the corpus striatum
the cerebrum and the limbic system, there are further
 strategically placed among the important nerve afferent tracts
tracts and nuclei  Other important afferent fibers arise in the
 It receives input from most of the sensory primary motor cortex of the frontal lobe and
systems and has efferent fibers that descend from the somesthetic cortex of the parietal
and influence nerve cells at all levels of the lobe.
central nervous system
Efferent Projections
 Through its many connections, it can influence:
o skeletal muscle activity  Multiple efferent pathways extend down to the
o somatic and visceral sensations brainstem and spinal cord through the
o autonomic and endocrine systems reticulobulbar and reticulospinal tracts to
o level of consciousness neurons in the motor nuclei of the cranial
nerves and the anterior horn cells of the spinal
General Arrangement
cord.
 extend from the spinal cord through the  Other descending pathways extend to the
medulla, the pons, the midbrain, the sympathetic outflow and the craniosacral
subthalamus, the hypothalamus, and the parasympathetic outflow of the autonomic
thalamus nervous system
 The diffuse network may be divided into three  Additional pathways extend to the corpus
longitudinal columns: striatum, the cerebellum, the red nucleus, the
o the first occupying the median plane, substantia nigra, the tectum, and the nuclei of
called the median column the thalamus, subthalamus, and hypothalamus
o the medial column, containing large  Most regions of the cerebral cortex receive
neurons efferent fibers as well.
o the third, or lateral column, containing
mainly small neurons
 Inferiorly, the reticular formation is continuous
with the interneurons of the gray matter of the
spinal cord
o while superiorly, impulses are relayed
to the cerebral cortex
o a substantial projection of fibers also
leaves the reticular formation to enter
the cerebellum.
 hypothalamus, and other subcortical nuclei, can
be exerted by:
o the reticulobulbar and reticulospinal
tracts, which descend to the
sympathetic outflow and the
parasympathetic craniosacral outflow.

Control of the endocrine nervous system

 Either directly or indirectly through the

hypothalamic nuclei
 the reticular formation can influence the
synthesis or release of releasing or release-
inhibiting factors and thereby control the
Functions of the Reticular Formation
activity of the hypophysis cerebri
Control of skeletal muscle
Influence on the biologic clocks
 Through the reticulospinal and reticulobulbar
 By means of its multiple afferent and efferent
tracts
pathways to the hypothalamus 
 the reticular formation can influence the
o the reticular formation probably
activity of the alpha and gamma motor neurons
influences the biologic rhythms.
o Thus, the reticular formation can
modulate muscle tone and reflex The reticular activating system
activity
 Arousal and the level of consciousness are
o It can also bring about reciprocal
controlled by the reticular formation
inhibition
 Multiple ascending pathways carrying sensory
 The reticular formation, assisted by the
information to higher centers are channeled
vestibular apparatus of the inner ear and the
through the reticular formation
vestibular spinal tract, plays an important role
o which, in turn, projects this information
in maintaining the tone of the antigravity
to different parts of the cerebral cortex,
muscles when standing
causing a sleeping person to awaken
 respiratory centers of the brainstem  part of
 Different degrees of wakefulness seem to
the reticular formation.
depend on the degree of activity of the reticular
 The reticular formation is important in
formation
controlling the muscles of facial expression
when associated with emotion.

Control of somatic and visceral sensations.

 By virtue of its central location in the

cerebrospinal axis, the reticular formation can
influence all ascending pathways that pass to
supraspinal levels.
 The influence may be facilitative or inhibitory
 In particular, the reticular formation may have a
key role in the “gating mechanism” for the
control of pain perception

Control of the autonomic nervous system

 Higher control of the autonomic nervous

system, from the cerebral cortex,
 Limbic system o The convex ventricular surface is
covered with ependyma, beneath which
 the term limbic system was loosely used to
lies a thin layer of white matter called
include a group of structures that lie in the
the alveus
border zone between the cerebral cortex and
 The alveus consists of nerve
the hypothalamus
fibers that have originated in
 limbic system is involved with many other the hippocampus, and these
structures beyond the border zone in the converge medially to form a
control of emotion, behavior, and drive; it also bundle called the fimbria
appears to be important to memory  The fimbria, in turn, becomes
 Anatomically, the limbic structures include the: continuous with the crus of the
o Subcallosal fornix
o the cingulate o The hippocampus terminates
o parahippocampal gyri posteriorly beneath the splenium of the
o hippocampal formation corpus callosum
o amygdaloid nucleus
o mammillary bodies
o anterior thalamic nucleus
 The alveus, the fimbria, the fornix, the
mammillothalamic tract, and the stria
terminalis constitute the connecting pathways
of this system

 The dentate gyrus is a narrow, notched band of

gray matter that lies between the fimbria of the
hippocampus and the parahippocampal gyrus
o Posteriorly, the gyrus accompanies the
fimbria almost to the splenium of the
corpus callosum and becomes
continuous with the indusium griseum.
o The indusium griseum is a thin, vestigial
Hippocampal Formation layer of gray matter that covers the
superior surface of the corpus callosum
 The hippocampal formation consists of the
hippocampus, the dentate gyrus, and the
parahippocampal gyrus.
 The hippocampus is a curved elevation of gray
matter that extends throughout the entire
length of the floor of the inferior horn of the
lateral ventricle
o Its anterior end is expanded to form the
pes hippocampus.
 o It is composed of nerve fibers that
originate in the hippocampal cortex.
o The fibers converge on the medial
border of the hippocampus to form a
bundle called the fimbria.
 The fimbria now leaves the posterior end of the
hippocampus as the crus of the fornix
o The crus from each side curves
posteriorly and superiorly beneath the
splenium of the corpus callosum and
around the posterior surface of the
thalamus
o The two crura now converge to form
 Embedded in the superior surface of the the body of the fornix, which is applied
indusium griseum are two slender bundles of closely to the undersurface of the
white fibers on each side called the medial and corpus callosum
lateral longitudinal striae o As the two crura come together, they
o The striae are the remains of the white are connected by transverse fibers
matter of the vestigial indusium called the commissure of the fornix
griseum  These fibers decussate and join
o Anteriorly, the dentate gyrus is the hippocampi of the two sides
continued into the uncus
 The parahippocampal gyrus lies between the
hippocampal fissure and the collateral sulcus
and is continuous with the hippocampus along
the medial edge of the temporal lobe

Amygdaloid Nucleus

 It is situated partly anterior and partly superior

to the tip of the inferior horn of the lateral
ventricle
 It is fused with the tip of the tail of the caudate
nucleus, which has passed anteriorly in the roof
of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle.
 Anteriorly, the body of the fornix is connected
 The stria terminalis emerges from its posterior
to the undersurface of the corpus callosum by
aspect
the septum pellucidum
 The amygdaloid nucleus consists of a complex
o Inferiorly, the body of the fornix is
of nuclei that can be grouped into a larger
related to the tela choroidea and the
basolateral group and smaller corticomedial
ependymal roof of the third ventricle.
group.
 The body of the fornix splits anteriorly into two
Connecting Pathways of the Limbic System anterior columns of the fornix, each of which
curves anteriorly and inferiorly over the
 The connecting pathways of the limbic system
interventricular foramen (foramen of Monro)
are the alveus, the fimbria, the fornix, the
o Then, each column disappears into the
mammillothalamic tract, and the stria
lateral wall of the third ventricle to
terminalis.
reach the mammillary body
 The alveus consists of a thin layer of white
 The mammillothalamic tract provides
matter that lies on the superior or ventricular
important connections between the
surface of the hippocampus
 mammillary body and the anterior nuclear hippocampus in the commissure of the
group of the thalamus fornix.
 The stria terminalis emerges from the posterior o Fibers from the indusium griseum pass
aspect of the amygdaloid nucleus and runs as a posteriorly in the longitudinal striae to
bundle of nerve fibers posteriorly in the roof of the hippocampus.
the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle on the o Fibers from the entorhinal area or
medial side of the tail of the caudate nucleus olfactory-associated cortex pass to the
o It follows the curve of the caudate hippocampus.
nucleus and comes to lie in the floor of o Fibers arising from the dentate and
the body of the lateral ventricle. parahippocampal gyri travel to the
hippocampus.
Structure of the Hippocampus and the Dentate Gyrus

 The cortical structure of the parahippocampal

gyrus is six layered Efferent Connections of the Hippocampus
 As the cortex is traced into the hippocampus,
 Axons of the large pyramidal cells of the
there is a gradual transition from a six- to a
hippocampus emerge to form the alveus and
three-layered arrangement.
the fimbria
o 63
 The fimbria continues as the crus of the fornix.
 These three layers are the:
 The two crura converge to form the body of the
o superficial molecular layer
fornix
 consisting of nerve fibers and
 The body of the fornix splits into the two
scattered small neurons
columns of the fornix, which curve downward
o the pyramidal layer
and forward in front of the interventricular
 consisting of many large
foramina
pyramid-shaped neurons
 The fibers within the fornix are distributed to
o Inner polymorphic layer
the following regions (Fig. 9-7):
 similar in structure to the
polymorphic layer of the cortex
seen elsewhere.
 The dentate gyrus also has three layers, but the
pyramidal layer is replaced by the granular
layer
o The granular layer is composed of
densely arranged rounded or oval
neurons that give rise to axons that
terminate on the dendrites of the
pyramidal cells in the hippocampus

Afferent Connections of the Hippocampus

 Afferent connections of the hippocampus may o Fibers pass posterior to the anterior
be divided into six groups: commissure to enter the mammillary
o Fibers arising in the cingulate gyrus body, where they end in the medial
pass to the hippocampus. nucleus
o Fibers arising from the septal nuclei o Fibers pass posterior to the anterior
(nuclei lying within the midline close to commissure to end in the anterior
the anterior commissure) pass posterior nuclei of the thalamus.
in the fornix to the hippocampus. o Fibers pass posterior to the anterior
o Fibers arising from one hippocampus commissure to enter the tegmentum of
pass across the midline to the opposite the midbrain
 o Fibers pass anterior to the anterior
commissure to end in the septal nuclei,
the lateral preoptic area, and the
anterior part of the hypothalamus.
o Fibers join the stria medullaris thalami
to reach the habenular nuclei.

Functions of the Limbic System

 able to influence many aspects of emotional

behavior
 These include particularly the reactions of fear
and anger and the emotions associated with
sexual behavior.
 There is also evidence that the hippocampus is
concerned with converting recent memory to
long-term memory.
o A lesion of the hippocampus results in
the individual being unable to store
long-term memory.
o ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA
 injury to the amygdaloid nucleus and the
hippocampus produces a greater memory loss
than injury to either one of these structures
alone.