Reticular formation

Diffused mass of neurons and nerve fibers forming an ill-defined meshwork

of reticulum in the central portion of the brainstem.

Various nuclei: 1) Nuclei of medullary reticular formation

2) Nuclei of pontine reticular formation
3) Nuclei of midbrain reticular formation

• Situated: - Downwards into spinal cord

- Upwards up to thalamus and subthalamus
Functional divisions of Reticular Formation
Ascending Reticular Activating System - ARAS

 Receives fibers from the

sensory pathways via
long ascending spinal
tracts.
 Alertness, maintenance of
attention and
wakefulness.
 Emotional reactions,
important in learning
processes.
 Tumor or lession –
sleeping sickness or
coma.
 Descending Reticular System
Inhibitory: Facilitatory:
- Smoothness and - Mantains the
accuracy of voluntary muscle tone
movements - Facilitates
- Reflex movements autonomic
functions
- Regulates muscle tone - Activates ARAS
- Maintenance of posture
- Control vegetative
functions
 Reticular formation

• Afferents
• Spinal cord----------spinothalamic
tract,spinoreticular tract,medial lemniscus
• From cranial nerve nuclei---------
vestibular,acoustic and visual pathway
 Reticular formation

• Cerebellum-------------cerebelloreticular
• From
subthalamus,hypothalamus,thalamus,corpus
striatum and limbic system
• From primary motor and primary sensory area
Connections of Reticular Formation

Afferent connections of reticular formation

 Efferents

• Reticulospinal
• Reticulobulbar
• To sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow
• To corpus striatum
 Efferents

• Cerebellum
• Red nucleus
• Substantia nigra
• Tectum
• To thalamus
• Subthalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Most regions of cerebral cortex
Efferent connections of reticular formation
 Functions of reticular formation
• Control of skeletal muscles----------reticulospinal
and reticulobulbar tracts influence alpha and
gamma neurons
• Modulate muscle tone and reflex activity
• Reciprocal inhibition
• Maintenance of tone of antigravity muscles via
inner ear apparatus and vestibulospinal tract
• Respiratory center controlling respiratory muscles
 Control of somatic and visceral
sensation
• Central location --facilitatory or inhibitory
influence---on ascending pathways to
supraspinal levels
• Key role in gating mechanism for the control
of pain perception
Control of autonomic nervous system

• Cortex,hypothalamus and other subcortical

nuclei control ANS via Reticulospinal and
Reticulobulbar tracts descending to
sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow

•
Control of endocrine nervous system
• Directly or indirectly via hypothalamus through
releasing or release inhibiting factors
• Influence on biological clock
• Multiple afferent and efferent pathways to
hypothalamus can influence biological rhythms
• Reticular activating system
• All ascending sensory pathways to cerebral
cortex are channeled through reticular formation
• Degree of wakefulness depends on the activity of
reticular activating system