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What is the Role of the nucleus of the solitary tract in the central autonomic network?
This important nucleus, located at the dorsomedial medulla, serves as an integration station for the autonomic and somatic information and plays a vital role in the maintenance of body homeostasis.
Role of the nucleus of the solitary tract receives inputs from neocortical regions and from nuclei of the forebrain, higher brain stem, and diencephalon.
The visceral afferents, which convey information important to the reflexive regulation of cardiac rhythm and motility, peripheral vascular tone, respiration, and gastrointestinal (GI) motility and secretion, terminate at different parts of this nucleus.
Most efferent fibers from the nucleus of the solitary tract terminate in the parabrachial nucleus, which in turn project to higher brain stem sites, hypothalamus, basal forebrain, and cerebral cortex.
Efferent fibers from the nucleus of the solitary tract also end on the neurons of the reticular formation of the ventrolateral medulla, which in turn project to the IML cell column of the lateral horn of the spinal cord.
In addition, the nucleus of the solitary tract also receives somatic afferents from the spinal cord (dorsolateral horn) and spinal trigeminal lemniscus.
Note: Nucleus tracti solitarii is the correct Latin term for this nucleus. Nucleus tractus solitarius or nucleus tracti solitarius are distorted but commonly used terms.
Sources
From Crossman AR, Neary D: Neuroanatomy, An Illustrated Colour Text. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 2000, p 94.
