Deep
Nuclei
Intro
Now for the
FASTIGIAL nucleus. To exit the cerebellum, the axons
of cells in the fastigial nuclei take two routes that
we did not discuss in the brain stem or spinal cord series
of lectures. Crossing axons from the fastigial pass
to the vestibular nuclei and reticular formation
of the pons and medulla (not illustrated below). The
greater number of fibers leaving the fastigial nucleus are
uncrossed and pass via the inferior cerebellar peduncle to
reach the vestibular nuclei and reticular
formation. The reticular formation consists of
cells that we did not identify in the brain stem series of
discussions. They are kind of "left over", but nonetheless
important, cells that project to the spinal cord as
reticulospinal fibers. These fibers lie in the
ventral funiculus. I have only illustrated the
medullary reticular formation below. Don't worry about the
pontine.