Spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve
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At the time the article was created Chris Rothe had no recorded disclosures.
View Chris Rothe's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Frank Gaillard had the following disclosures:
- Biogen Australia Pty Ltd, Investigator-Initiated Research Grant for CAD software in multiple sclerosis: finished Oct 2021 (past)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures- spinal nucleus
The spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve is one of three major nuclei that make up the trigeminal sensory nerve nuclear complex along with the main sensory nucleus and the mesencephalic nucleus 1-2.
Gross anatomy
The spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve is a paired structure and is an inferior continuation of the main sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve. It extends from the caudal lower pons inferiorly through the medulla to the level of the upper cervical cord (approximately C2 to C3 levels) where it becomes continuous with the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The spinal nucleus lies ventral to the vestibular and cochlear nuclei and medial to the inferior cerebellar peduncles.
The spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve has three parts with somatotopic mapping of the face upside down; the upper part mapping to the lower face whereas the lowest most caudal part maps the forehead 3,4:
pars oralis: from pons to mid-medulla, joining the main sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve
pars interpolaris: mid-medulla
pars caudalis: from the lower medulla to upper cervical cord, directly continuous with the dorsal horn of the spinal cord
Innervation
The spinal nucleus receives afferent impulses from the ipsilateral face which convey information about pain, temperature and crude touch. The nucleus also receives sensory afferent impulses from other cranial nerves:
facial nerve from the external auditory canal
glossopharyngeal nerve from the pharynx, soft palate, tympanic membrane and posterior cranial fossa dura
vagus nerve from the larynx, meninges, external auditory canal and the external ear
References
- 1. Lynley Bradnam, Christine Barry. The Role of the Trigeminal Sensory Nuclear Complex in the Pathophysiology of Craniocervical Dystonia. (2013) Journal of Neuroscience. 33 (47): 18358. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3544-13.2013 - Pubmed
- 2. Shmuel Price, Daniel T. Daly. Neuroanatomy, Nucleus Trigeminal. (2019) Pubmed
- 3. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. (2020) ISBN: 9780702077050 - Google Books
- 4, R. Shane Tubbs, Elias B. Rizk, Mohammadali Shoja et al. Nerves and Nerve Injuries. (2015) ISBN: 9780124103900 - Google Books
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