Inferior cerebellar peduncle

Brain: Inferior cerebellar peduncle
Scheme showing the connections of the several parts of the brain. (Inferior peduncle labeled at bottom right.)
Section of the medulla oblongata at about the middle of the olive. (Inferior peduncle labeled at upper right.
Latin	pedunculus cerebellaris inferior
Gray's	subject #187 775
NeuroNames	hier-778
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_1691

The upper part of the posterior district of the medulla oblongata is occupied by the inferior peduncle, a thick rope-like strand situated between the lower part of the fourth ventricle and the roots of the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves.

Each cerebellar inferior peduncle connects the medulla spinalis and medulla oblongata with the cerebellum, and comprises the juxtarestiform body and restiform body.

Important fibers running through the inferior cerebellar peduncle include the spinocerebellar tract and axons from the inferior olivary nucleus, among others.

Function

The inferior cerebellar peduncle carries many types of input and output fibers that are mainly concerned with integrating proprioceptive sensory input with motor vestibular functions such as balance and posture maintenance.

Proprioceptive information from the body is carried to the cerebellum via the posterior spinocerebellar tract.

This tract passes through the inferior cerebellar peduncle and synapses within the paleocerebellum.

Vestibular information projects onto the archicerebellum.

This peduncle also carries information directly from the Purkinje cells to the vestibular nuclei in the dorsal brainstem located at the junction between the pons and medulla oblongata.

See also

• Superior cerebellar peduncles
• Middle cerebellar peduncles
• Cerebral peduncle
• Juxtarestiform body

Additional images

Upper part of medulla spinalis and hind- and mid-brains; posterior aspect, exposed in situ.	Superficial dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.	Dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.	Deep dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.
Dissection of brain-stem. Dorsal view.	Diagram showing the course of the arcuate fibers.	Dissection showing the course of the cerebrospinal fibers.

External links

• Atlas of anatomy at UMich n2a5p2
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich n2a7p4
• Neuroanatomy at UW cere/text/p1/icp.htm

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.

This neuroanatomy article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e