Anterior external arcuate fibers

The anterior external arcuate fibers are efferent fibers originating from the arcuate nuclei in the medulla oblongata. These fibers cross the anterior surface of the medulla and connect with the cerebellum through the inferior cerebellar peduncle.

Although the anterior external arcuate fibers form part of the neuronal loop that connects the cerebral cortex with the cerebellum, they are distinct from the pontocerebellar fibers. The anterior external arcuate fibers, as mentioned above, originate from the arcuate nuclei in the medulla oblongata and reach the cerebellum via the inferior cerebellar peduncle, whereas the pontocerebellar fibers are components of the corticopontocerebellar pathway, arising from the pontine nuclei in the pons and connecting with the cerebellum through the middle cerebellar peduncle.