Rubrospinal tract
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Clinic
- It is a part of the lateral indirect extra-pyramidal tract.
- Other extra-pyramidal tracts are
- It originates in the magnocellular red nucleus, crosses to the other side of the midbrain, and descends in the lateral part of the brainstem tegmentum.
- In the spinal cord, it travels through the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord
- It is one of several major motor control pathways.
- It is smaller and has fewer axons than the corticospinal tract, suggesting that it is less important in motor control.
- It is one of the pathways for the mediation of involuntary movement
- It acts on upper limbs.
Function
- Making Flexor Muscle to contract and extensors to relax
- Plays an important role in flexor reflex activity eg withdrawing hand after touching a hot object, flexion of limbs when something hits the flexor surface.
- Inhibition of Anti-gravity Muscles: Important in the prevention of decerebrate posture
Pathology
Lower motor neuron lesions that involve the extrapyramidal tracts, including the rubrospinal tracts causes
- Severe paralysis
- Increased muscle tone
- Exaggerated deep muscle reflexes
- Rigidity