Reticular Formation and

Limbic System
Reticular Formation and Limbic System

To provide a brief overview of the structure

and function of the reticular formation

To present the parts of the limbic system

and its functions
Definitions

Limbic System
• Part of the brain between the cerebral cortex and the hypothalamus
• Known to play a vital role in emotion behavior, drive, and memory

Reticular formation
• Resembles a net (reticular) that is made up of nerve cells and nerve fibers
• Extends up through the axis of the CNS from spinal cord to the cerebrum
• Permits input from ascending and descending pathways
• Can influence skeletal muscle activity, somatic and visceral sensations, ANS,
endocrine systems, level of consciousness
General Arrangement in Longitudinal Column

Median column (intermediate-size

neurons)

Medial column (large neurons)

Lateral column (small neurons)

 Arise from primary
Afferent motor cortex of frontal
Projections lobe & from somesthetic
cortex of parietal lobe

Subthalaic,
hypothalamic, and
thalamic nuclei from
corpus striatum and Cerbelloreticular
limbic system pathway from
cerebellum
Spinoreticular and
spinothalamic tracts and Vestibular, acoustic, and
medial lemniscus project visual pathways from
from spinal cord cranial nerve nuclei
Efferent Projections

From brainstem
Corpus striatum,
and spinal cord to
Sympathetic cerebellum, red
Reticulobulbar
outflow and nucleus,
and reticulospinal
craniosacral substantia nigra, Cerebral cortex
tracts to Cranial
parasympathetic tectum, thalamus,
nerves and
outflow of ANS subthalamus,
anterior horn cells
hypothalamus
of spinal cord
 Functions
Control of skeletal muscle
• Reticulospinal and reticulobulbar
tracts
• Affects alpha and gamma
neurons
• Modulate muscle tone and reflex
activity
• Brings about reciprocal inhibition
• Maintaining tone of antigravity
muscles
• Respiratory center of the
brainstem
Control of facial expression
• Controlling muscles of facial
expression associated with
emotion
• Descending tracts are separate
from corticobulbar fibers
Control of the ANS
• Higher control of the ANS from
cerebral cortex, hypothalamus
and other subcortical nuclei
• Exerted by reticulobulbar and
reticulospinal tracts which
descend into sympathetic
outflow & parasympathetic
craniosacral outflow
 Functions

Control of the endocrine Influence on biological clocks Reticular Activating System

system • Probably influences • Arousal and level of
• Directly or indirectly biologic activities consciousness
through hypothalamic • Causes a sleeping person to
nuclei awaken
• Can influence the • Affects level of wakefulness
synthesis or release of • Incoming pain sensation
releasing or releasing – • Affected by acetylcholine,
inhibiting factors excitatory
• Controls activity of neurotransmitter
hypophysis cerebri
Limbic System
• Control of emotion, behavior, and
drive
• Appears to be important to
memory
• Includes
• Subcallosal
• Singulate
• Parahippocampal gyri
• Hippocampal formation
• Amydaloid nucleus
• Mamillary bodies
• Anterior thalamic nucleus
• Connecting pathways
Hippocampal Formation
Afferent Connections of the Hippocampus
Fibers arising in the cingulate gyrus pass to the hippocampus.

Fibers arising from the septal nuclei pass posterior in the fornix to the hippocampus.
Fibers arising from one hippocampus pass across the midline to the opposite
hippocampus in the commissure of the fornix.
Fibers from the indusium griseum to the hippocampus.
Fibers from the entorhinal area or olfactory-associated cortex pass to the
hippocampus.
Fibers arising from the dentate and parahippocampal gyri travel to the hippocampus.
Efferent Connections of the Hippocampus
Enter mammillary
body to medial
nucleus

Anterior nuclei of
thalamus
Form alveus and
fibria
Axon from Converge
Tegmentum of
hippocamp to form midbrain
us Continues as crus fornix
of fornix Septal nuclei,
lateral preoptic
area,
Joins stria
medullaris and
end habenular
nuclei
Limbic System Functions
Reactions of fear and anger

Emotions associated with sexual behavior

Hippocampus: converting STM to LTM

Memory of remote past events before the lesion developed
unaffected (anterograde amnesia)
Memory affected if amygdaloid nucleus and hippocampus is
affected
Clinical Notes
Reticular formation

State of consciousness

Loss of consciousness
Limbic System
• disordered thinking, blunted affect, and emotional withdrawal.
Paranoid delusions and auditory hallucinations; blocking
Schizophrenia dopamine may lessen symptoms but may result in involuntary
movements

Amygdaloid complex • results decrease aggressiveness, emotional instability, and

restlessness, increased interest in food, hypersexuality but no
destruction memory disturbance

Bilateral removal of temporal • become docile and show no evidence of fear or anger, unable to
lobe in monkeys (Kluver – Bucy appreciate objects visually, increase appetite and sexual activity,
syndrome) seeks partnership with both male and female animals

• preceded by acoustic experience or unpleasant olfactory odor;

Temporal Lobe confused, anxious, and docile; perform automatic and
Dysfunction complicated movements (eg undressing in public, driving a car)
no memory of what happened previously