Reticulospinal Tract

Authors

Affiliations

Nathaniel Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

The reticulospinal tract is an extrapyramidal tract that is part of the medial motor systems which spans the entire spinal cord to function in automatic posture and gait-related movements¹.

Pathway

Input

• Pontine
• Medullary reticular formation

Pathway

• The reticulospinal tract decussates in the midbrain at the dorsal tegmental decussation¹.
• The reticulospinal tract spans the entire spinal cord, travelling through the anterior horn

Somatotopic organization of medial and lateral motor system Projections to Anterior Horn Cells¹

Output

Function

• automatic posture¹
• gait-related movements¹

References

1.

Blumenfeld H. Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases. 3rd ed. Oxford university press; 2022.