MOTOR TRACTS

Lateral corticospinal (contralateral control) – voluntary movement of distal limb muscles;

responsible for discrete skilled movements
- M1  cross at pyramids in medulla  spinal level  synapse with LMN

Anterior corticospinal (contralateral control) – control of axial and proximal limb muscles
- M1 spinal level  cross synapse with LMN

Corticobulbar (bilateral control) – voluntary movements of the head and neck

- M1  synapse with cranial LMN in brainstem

Rubrospinal (contralateral control) – alternative for voluntary motor commands  flexion bias
(mainly upper limb muscles)
- Red nucleus  cross over in brainstem  synapse with LMN in grey matter of spinal
level

Reticulospinal – anticipatory posture and tone control and locomotion

- pontine – ipsilateral control, extensor bias
- medullary – contralateral control crossing at level of spinal cord, flexor bias
- *Receives information from the vestibular system

Vestibulospinal (ipsilateral control) – posture and balance, eye tracking, extension of head
(medial vestibulospinal tract) and back muscles (lateral vestibulospinal tract)
- Vestibular nuclei in 4th ventricle  cervical spinal cord synapse with LMN
- *Receives information from the vestibular system

Tectospinal (contralateral control)– head and neck movements in response to auditory and
visual stimuli
- Superior colliculi  cross in brainstem  synapse in the cervical spinal cord in grey
matter with LMN’s
SENSORY TRACTS

Spinothalamic (contralateral control) – pain, crude touch, pressure and temperature

- Dorsal root  synapse in dorsal horn  cross at level of entry  up tract  synapse in
thalamus  S1
Spinocerebellar (ipsilateral control) – proprioception
- Spinal level  synapse in dorsal horn  up tract  through cerebellar peduncles to
ipsilateral cerebellar lobe
DCML (contralateral control) - 2-point discrimination, vibration, proprioception, pressure
- T6 and above: dorsal root  fasciculus cuneatus  synapse in nucleus cuneatus in
medulla  cross  synapse in thalamus  S1
- T6 and below: dorsal root  fasciculus gracilis  synapse in nucleus gracilis  cross 
synapse in thalamus  S1