Trigeminothalamic tract
| Anterior trigeminothalamic tract | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | tractus trigeminothalamicus anterior |
| TA | A14.1.05.311 |
| FMA | 72506 |
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Anatomical terminology
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The anterior trigeminothalamic tract (or ventral trigeminothalamic tract) is composed of second order neuronal axons. These fibers carry sensory information about discriminative and crude touch, conscious proprioception, pain, and temperature from the head, face, and oral cavity. The anterior trigeminothalamic tract connects the principal (chief sensory) nucleus and spinal trigeminal nucleus to the ventral posteromedial (VPM) nucleus of the thalamus.
The anterior trigeminothalamic tract is also called the anterior trigeminal lemniscus.
The first order neurons (from the trigeminal ganglion) enter the pons and synapse in the principal (chief sensory) nucleus or spinal trigeminal nucleus. Axons of the second order neurons cross the midline and terminate in the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the contralateral thalamus (as opposed to the ventral posterolateral nucleus, as in the dorsal column medial lemniscus (DCML) system). The third order neuron in the thalamus then connects to the sensory cortex of the postcentral gyrus.
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