![]() The spinothalamic tract carries touch, pain, and temperature information. The central tegmental tract contains ascending fibers connecting the rostral nucleus solitarius to the thalamus and cortical taste area. The lateral lemniscus carries auditory information to the auditory cortex. The medial lemniscus carries proprioceptive, vibratory, and touch-pressure sense. The medial longitudinal fasciculus is the main central connection for the oculomotor nerve and coordinates conjugate gaze. The white matter tracts pass through the entire length of the brainstem and include the medial longitudinal fasciculus, medial lemniscus, lateral lemniscus, central tegmental tract, spinothalamic tract, and rubro-olivary tract. The red nucleus, part of the extrapyramidal system, has roles in motor coordination. The substantia nigra functions in motor control and reward pathways. ![]() The dorsal tegmentum is ventral to the cerebral aqueduct and contains the nuclei of the oculomotor (III) and trochlear (IV) cranial nerves, white matter tracts, and gray matter including the substantia nigra and red nucleus. ![]() We describe brainstem development and structure with a focus on the imaging appearances of pathologic abnormalities to help the radiologist understand these conditions. Knowledge of the complex function and anatomy of this region is key to understanding the wide spectrum of disease. The brainstem also contains all of the cranial nerve nuclei other than the olfactory (I), optic (II), and part of the accessory (XI) nerves.īrainstem syndromes are usually due to vascular occlusion of branches of the posterior circulation or mass effect secondary to space-occupying lesions. It has connections to the cerebrum, basal ganglia, diencephalon, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Functions include regulation of the cardiac, respiratory, and central nervous systems including consciousness and the sleep cycle. The named parts, from cranial to caudal, comprise the midbrain (mesencephalon), pons (metencephalon), and medulla oblongata (myelencephalon). The brainstem is the most inferior and primitive part of the brain, continuous caudally with the spinal cord and rostrally with the diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, and subthalamus) ( 1).
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![]() I hiked up the switchbacking “L” trail in Missoula on a cool, overcast afternoon in the low 50s, wearing my Uberlayer jacket on the way up without needing to shed a layer. On a spring trip to western Montana, the Outdoor Research Women’s Uberlayer Hooded Jacket was my go-to layer for pretty much everything from morning field work taking stream measurements to hanging out by the campfire and walking around town. I kept it on, totally zipped up (including the hood), and stay protected from the wind. When I did, I marveled at how well the jacket moved and breathed (thanks to the Polartec Alpha insulation and wicking mesh interior), just as my ski partners had raved. It was cold enough that I looked forward to taking turns rowing so that I could warm up. Water droplets easily shed off the fabric and cuffs dipped in the river dried quickly. The next day I went fishing, with no worries about getting the Uberlayer jacket wet. When the temperatures dropped into the 30s at night, it layered without bulk under my puffy down jacket. At camp, over my base layers, it felt like a cozy cocoon of warmth that was barely noticeable because it was lightweight and made of soft, stretchy, quiet fabric. I wore the jacket non-stop on this trip, through fickle spring weather. On our first overnight trip of the season in early May, on the South Fork of the Snake River, conditions weren’t necessarily great for camping, rafting, or fishing, but our excitement to be on the water outweighed the mid-50s overcast weather, occasional rain, and wind gusts. The Outdoor Research Women’s Uberlayer Hooded Jacket quickly replaced my mid-weight hydrophobic down jacket on the river. After two women in my ski group at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort told me that the Outdoor Research Women’s Uberlayer Hooded Jacket was a “game changer” layer for them – one even going so far as to own it in both colors – I was thrilled to put it to the test this spring and early summer. ![]()
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