Last edited: 8/9/2021

DESCENDING TRACTS – RUBROSPINAL TRACT

Neurology: Descending Tracts: Rubrospinal Tract Medical Editor: Dr. Sofia Suhada M. Uzir

OUTLINE II) THE STIMULUS

I) OVERVIEW (A) IMPULSE FROM CEREBRAL CORTEX
II) THE STIMULUS • Primary motor cortex
III) THE PATHWAY • Premotor cortex
IV) REVIEW QUESTIONS • Supplemental motor area
o Cortico-rubro fibers
V) REFERENCES  Collateral fibers from the cerebral cortex to the red
nucleus which stimulates it

(B) FROM CEREBELLUM

I) OVERVIEW
● Concerns with proprioception
o Understand position of joints, muscles and tendons
within 3-dimensional space
o Globose and emboliform nuclei deep in the
cerebellum send fibers to the red nucleus

III) THE PATHWAY

● Red nuclei in the pons → rubrospinal tract descend and
decussate in the midbrain via ventral tegmental
decussation → continue descend and enter into lateral
while column (may even be intermixed with lateral
corticospinal tract) → give collaterals to the
anterior/ventral grey horns → stimulate alpha and gamma
motor neurons (in the grey horns) → flexion of the limb
(primarily upper limbs more than the lower limbs)
(1) Alpha motor neurons
● Contraction of extrafusal muscle fibers
● → shorten and lengthen muscle fibers
(2) Gama motor neurons
● Contraction of intrafusal muscle fibers
● → keep muscle spindles taut

Remember:
• Vestibular spinal tract + Pontine reticulospinal tract
→ Stimulate extensor muscles
• Rubrospinal tract and medullary reticulospinal tract
→ Stimulate flexor muscles

Figure 1 Pathway of rubrospinal tract

(A) FUNCTION
• Activating flexor muscles
o Both rubrospinal tract and medullary
reticulospinal tract stimulate the flexor muscles
o Pontine reticulospinal tract in particular, assist the
lateral corticospinal tract in stimulating the flexor
muscles, primarily in the upper limb whilst keeping
the lower limb intact

DESCENDING TRACTS – RUBROSPINAL TRACT NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #1. 1 of 2

 IV) REVIEW QUESTIONS
Which of the following is true?
Which of the following is true concerning a. The rubrospinal tract helps in extension of the hands
rubrospinal tract? b. The red nuclei help in shorten and lengthen muscle
a. The pathway starts from the red nuclei fibers through the intrafusal muscle fibers
b. It is an ascending tract c. The medullary reticulospinal tract also helps in
c. It stimulates extensor muscle extension of the upper limbs
d. It decussates in the pons d. None of the above

Which of the following DOES NOT help in flexion
the upper limbs?
a. Rubrospinal tract
b. Medullary reticulospinal tract
c. Vestibular spinal tract
d. All of the above
Regarding the gamma motor neurons
a. It contracts the extrafusal muscle fibers
b. It shortens the muscle fibers
c. It lengthens the muscle fibers
d. It keeps the muscle spindles taut
Which of the following is correct regarding the
stimulus of flexion of muscles?
a. Primary motor cortex is not one of them
b. Supplemental motor area helps with decussation of
reticulospinal tract
c. The globose nuclei from cerebellum sends fibers to
the red nuclei
d. The fibers from the cerebellum will decussate at the
midbrain
CHECK YOUR ANSWERS
V) REFERENCES
● Paul Johns Clinical Neuroscience, Chapter 4 – Sensory and
motor pathways. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2014
● Sabatine MS. Pocket Medicine: the Massachusetts General
Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine. Philadelphia: Wolters
Kluwer; 2020.
● Le T. First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2020. 30th anniversary
edition: McGraw Hill; 2020.
● Williams DA. Pance Prep Pearls. Middletown, DE: Kindle Direct
Publishing Platform; 2020.
● Papadakis MA, McPhee SJ, Rabow MW. Current Medical
Diagnosis & Treatment 2018. New York: McGraw-Hill
Education; 2017.
● Jameson JL, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, Hauser SL, Longo DL,
Loscalzo J. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth
Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2). McGraw-Hill Education / Medical; 2018
● Marieb EN, Hoehn K. Anatomy & Physiology. Hoboken, NJ:
Pearson; 2020.
● Boron WF, Boulpaep EL. Medical Physiology.; 2017.
● Netter FH, Felten DL, Józefowicz Ralph F. Netter's Atlas of
Human Neuroscience. Teterboro, NJ: Icon Learning Systems; 2004.
● Netter FH. Atlas of Human Anatomy. Amsterdam: Elsevier;
2018.
● Westover MB. Pocket Neurology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;
2016.
● Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. Philadelphia,
PA: Elsevier; 2021.

Regarding cortico-rubro fibers

a. It gives collaterals to the red nuclei
b. It is from the cerebellum
c. It helps in stimulating extensor muscles of the upper
limb
d. None of the above

Which of the following center of impulse do not

originate from the cerebral cortex?
a. Primary motor cortex
b. Premotor cortex
c. Supplemental motor area
d. Emboliform nuclei

Regarding the function of the rubrospinal tract:

a. It helps in flexion of the upper limb more than the
lower limb
b. It helps in flexion, mainly in the lower limb
c. It helps in extension of the lower limb more than the
upper limb
d. It helps in extension, mainly in the upper limb

Regarding the decussation of the rubrospinal tract:

a. It happens in the medulla oblongata
b. It happens in the pons
c. It happens in the midbrain after sending impulse to
the muscles
d. It occurs in the midbrain via ventral tegmental
decussation

A patient is found to have left brain injury that

affects nerve fibers before the midbrain, which of
the following you expect that patient to show?
a. Weak/paralysis of the flexors of the hands on the left
side
b. Weak/paralysis of the extensor of the hands on the
right side
c. Both the extensors and flexors of the hands on the
left side will be affected
d. There is weakness/paralysis of flexor muscles of the
right hands

2 of 2 NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #1. DESCENDING TRACTS – RUBROSPINAL TRACT