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Pyramidaltracts
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Corticospinaltract

nofbrainstem.Lateralview.("pyramidaltract"visibleinred,and"pyramidaldecussation"labeledatlowerright.)

Spinalcordtracts,withpyramidaltractslabeledatupperleft
Details
corticospinalis
Identifiers
http://archive.org/stream/anatomyofhumanbo1918gray#page/759/mode/2up)
6.854.633(https://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2007/MB_cgi?mode=&term=Pyramidal+Tracts)
(http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/Scripts/ancilcentraldirectory.aspx?ID=373)
daltract(http://www.neurolex.org/wiki/birnlex_1464)

www.unifr.ch/ifaa/Public/EntryPage/TA98%20Tree/Entity%20TA98%20EN/14.1.04.102%20Entity%20TA98%20EN.htm)

http://fme.biostr.washington.edu/FME/index.jsp?fmaid=72634)

Anatomicaltermsofneuroanatomy

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Thepyramidaltracts(pyramides)includeboththecorticospinalandcorticobulbartracts.Theseare
aggregationsofuppermotorneuronnervefibresthattravelfromthecerebralcortexandterminateeither
inthebrainstem(corticobulbar)orspinalcord(corticospinal)andareinvolvedincontrolofmotor
functionsofthebody.

Thecorticobulbartractconductsimpulsesfromthebraintothecranialnerves.[1]Thesenervescontrol
themusclesofthefaceandneckandareinvolvedinfacialexpression,mastication,swallowing,and
otherfunctions.

Thecorticospinaltractconductsimpulsesfromthebraintothespinalcord.Itismadeupofalateraland
anteriortract.Thecorticospinaltractisinvolvedinvoluntarymovement.Themajorityfibresofthe
corticospinaltractcrossoverinthemedulla,resultinginmusclesbeingcontrolledbytheoppositeside
ofthebrain.ThecorticospinaltractalsocontainsBetzcells(thelargestpyramidalcells),whicharenot
foundinanyotherregionofthebody.

Thepyramidaltractsarenamedbecausetheypassthroughthepyramidsofthemedulla.

Themyelinationofthepyramidalfibresisincompleteatbirthandgraduallyprogressesincaudocranial
directionandtherebyprogressivelygainingfunctionality.Mostofthemyelinationiscompletebytwo
yearsofageandthereafteritprogressesveryslowlyincraniocaudaldirectionuptotwelveyearsofage.

Contents
1Structure
1.1Corticospinaltract
1.2Corticobulbartract
2Function
3Clinicalsignificance
4Additionalimages
5References
6Externallinks

Structure
Thetermpyramidaltractsreferstouppermotorneuronsthatoriginateinthecerebralcortexand
terminateinthespinalcord(corticospinal)orbrainstem(corticobulbar).Nervesemergeinthecerebral
cortex,passdownandmaycrosssidesinthemedulla,andtravelaspartofthespinalcorduntilthey
synapsewithinterneuronsinthemiddlepartofthespinalcord,knownasgreymatter.[2]

Thereissomevariationinterminology.Thepyramidaltractsdefinitivelyencompassthecorticospinal
tracts.Many,butnotallauthorsalsoconsiderthetractstoincludethecorticobulbartracts.[3]

Corticospinaltract

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NervefibresinthecorticospinaltractoriginatefrompyramidalcellsinlayerVofthecerebralcortex.
Fibresarisefromtheprimarymotorcortex(about30%),supplementarymotorareaandthepremotor
cortex(togetheralsoabout30%),andthesomatosensorycortex,parietallobe,andcingulategyrus
suppliestherest.[2]Thecellshavetheirbodiesinthecerebralcortex,andtheaxonsformthebulkofthe
pyramidaltracts.[4]Thenerveaxonstravelfromthecortexthroughtheposteriorlimbofinternalcapsule,
throughthecerebralpeduncleandintothebrainstemandanteriormedulla.Heretheyformtwo
prominencescalledthepyramidsofthemedulla.Belowtheprominences,themajorityofaxonscross
overtotheoppositesidefromwhichtheyoriginated.Theaxonsthatcrossovermovetotheouterpartof
themedullaandformthelateralcorticospinaltract,whereasthefibresthatremainformtheanterior
corticospinaltract[2]About80%ofaxonscrossoverandformthelateralcorticospinaltract10%donot
crossoverandjointhetract,and10%offibrestravelintheanteriorcorticospinaltract.

Thenerveaxonstravelingdownthetractarereferredtoasuppermotorneurons.Theseaxonstravel
downthetractsinthewhitematterofthespinalcorduntiltheyreachthevertebrallevelofthemuscle
thattheywillinnervate.[5]Atthispoint,theaxonssynapsewithlowermotorneurons.Themajorityof
axonsdonotdirectlysynapsewithlowermotorneurons,butinsteadsynapsewithaninterneuronthat
thensynapseswithalowermotorneuron.Thisgenerallyoccursintheanteriorhornofthespinalcord.[2]
Nerveaxonsofthelateralcorticospinaltractthatdidnotcrossoverinthemedulladosoatthelevelof
thespinalcordtheyterminatein.[6]

Thesetractscontainmorethan1millionaxonsandthemajorityoftheaxonsaremyelinated.The
corticospinaltractsmyelinatelargelyduringthefirstandsecondyearsafterbirth.Themajorityofnerve
axonsaresmall(<4m)indiameter.About3%ofnerveaxonshaveamuchlargerdiameter(16m)and
arisefromBetzcells,mostlyinthelegareaoftheprimarymotorcortex.Thesecellsarenotablebecause
oftheirrapidconductionrate,over70m/sec,thefastestconductionofanysignalsfromthebraintothe
spinalcord.[2]

Corticobulbartract

Fibresfromthewikt:ventralmotorcortextravelwiththe
corticospinaltractthroughtheinternalcapsule,butterminateina
numberoflocationsinthemidbrain(corticomesencephalic
tract),pons(Corticopontinetract),andmedullaoblongata
(corticobulbartract).[6]Theuppermotorneuronsofthe
corticobulbartractsynapsewithinterneuronsordirectlywiththe
lowermotorneuronslocatedinthemotorcranialnervenuclei, Horizontalsectionthroughthelower
namelyoculomotor,trochlear,motornucleusofthetrigeminal partofthepons,showingthefibers
nerve,abducens,facialnerveandaccessoryandinthenucleus ofthecorticospinaltract(#19)
ambiguustothehypoglossal,vagusandaccessorynerves.[6] passingthroughthepontinenuclei
Thesenucleiaresuppliedbynervesfrombothsidesofthebrain,
withtheexceptionofthepartsofthefacialnervethatcontrolmusclesofthelowerface.Thesemuscles
areonlyinnervatedbynervesfromthecontralateral(opposite)sideofthecortex.[6]

Function
Thenerveswithinthecorticospinaltractareinvolvedinmovementofmusclesofthebody.Becauseof
thecrossingoveroffibres,musclesaresuppliedbythesideofthebrainoppositetothatofthemuscle.[2]
Thenerveswithinthecorticobulbartractareinvolvedinmovementinmusclesofthehead.Theyare

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involvedinswallowing,phonation,andmovementsofthetongue.[6]Byvirtueofinvolvementwiththe
facialnerve,thecorticobulbartractisalsoresponsiblefortransmittingfacialexpression.[5]Withthe
exceptionoflowermusclesoffacialexpression,allfunctionsofthecorticobulbartractinvolveinputs
frombothsidesofthebrain.[5]

Thetermextrapyramidalmotorsystemisusedtorefertotractswithinthespinalcordinvolvedin
voluntarymovementbutnotpartofthepyramidaltracts.[2]Theirfunctionsincludethecontrolofposture
andmuscletone.

Clinicalsignificance
Iffibresofthecorticospinaltractsaredamagedanywherealongtheircoursefromthecerebralcortexto
thelowerendofthespinalcord,thiswillgiverisetoanuppermotorneuronsyndrome.Afewdaysafter
theinjurytotheuppermotorneurons,apatternofmotorsignsandsymptomsappears,including
spasticity,hyperactivereflexes,alossoftheabilitytoperformfinemovements,andanextensorplantar
responseknownastheBabinskisign.[7]Symptomsgenerallyoccuralongsideothersensoryproblems.
Causesofdamagemayincludemassessuchasstrokes,subduralhemorrhage,absessesandtumours,
inflammationsuchasmeningitisandmultiplesclerosis,andtraumatothespinalcord,includingfrom
slippeddiscs.[4]

Ifthecorticobulbartractisdamagedononlyoneside,thenonlythelowerfacewillbeaffected,
howeverifthereisinvolvementofboththeleftandrighttracts,thentheresultispseudobulbarpalsy.
Thiscausesproblemswithswallowing,speaking,andemotionallability.[4]

Additionalimages

Dissectionofbrain Superficialdissection Themotortract.

stem.Lateralview. ofbrainstem.Ventral
view.

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Diagramofthe
principalfasciculiof
thespinalcord,from
Gray'sanatomy

References
1. ^Chapter9of"PrinciplesofPhysiology"(3rdedition)byRobertM.BerneandMathewN.Levy.Published
byMosby,Inc.(2000)ISBN0323008135.
2. ^abcdefgHall,ArthurC.Guyton,JohnE.(2005).Textbookofmedicalphysiology(11thed.).
Philadelphia:W.B.Saunders.pp.687690.ISBN9780721602400.
3. ^Anthoney,TerenceR.(1994).Neuroanatomyandtheneurologicexam:athesaurusofsynonyms,similar
soundingnonsynonyms,andtermsofvariablemeaning(http://books.google.com/?
id=whrU2XEvGFIC&pg=PA458&dq=corticobulbar+is+a+pyramidal+tract#v=onepage&q=corticobulbar%20is
%20a%20pyramidal%20tract&f=false).BocaRaton:CRCPress.pp.458460.ISBN9780849386312.
4. ^abcFauci,AnthonyS.Harrison,T.R.,eds.(2008).Harrison'sprinciplesofinternalmedicine(17thed.).
NewYork:McGrawHillMedical.pp.147149.ISBN9780071476928.
5. ^abcArslan,Orhan(2001).NeuroanatomicalBasisofClinicalNeurology(http://books.google.com/?
id=x3Gmj9_m1D0C&pg=PA368&dq=corticobulbar#v=onepage&q=corticobulbar&f=false).CRCPress.
p.368.ISBN1439806136.
6. ^abcdeYoung,PaulA.(2007).Basicclinicalneuroscience(http://books.google.com/?
id=dCh_gIIUnEoC&pg=PA69&dq=corticobulbar+is+a+pyramidal+tract#v=onepage&q=corticobulbar%20is%
20a%20pyramidal%20tract&f=false)(2nded.).Philadelphia,Pa.:LippincottWilliams&Wilkins.pp.6970.
ISBN9780781753197.
7. ^Neuroscience(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10898/)(2.ed.).Sunderland,Mass:SinauerAssoc.
2001.pp.DamagetoDescendingMotorPathways:TheUpperMotorNeuronSyndrome.ISBN087893742
0.|first1=missing|last1=inAuthorslist(help)

Externallinks
959774759(http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=959774759)atGPnotebook
Illustrationandtext:01Pyramid
(http://www.neuroanatomy.wisc.edu/virtualbrain/BrainStem/01Pyramid.html)attheUniversityof
WisconsinMadisonMedicalschool
McGill(http://www.thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_06/i_06_cl/i_06_cl_mou/i_06_cl_mou.html)
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Stainedbrainsliceimageswhichincludethe"Corticospinaltract"
(http://brainmaps.org/index.php?q=Corticospinal%20tract)attheBrainMapsproject

Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pyramidal_tracts&oldid=645531936"

Categories: Centralnervoussystempathways Motorsystem

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