Interpolar part of spinal trigeminal nucleus

The interpolar part of spinal trigeminal nucleus is the central section of this nucleus and is positioned between the oral part above it and the caudal part below it. This section is responsible for receiving pain and temperature information from the face's lateral region, specifically the area lateral to the oral and nasal regions, but not extending to the cheek and jaw regions.

To fully grasp this concept, it is important to understand the somatotopic organization of the spinal trigeminal nucleus and the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve, which is arranged from top to bottom. In this arrangement, the central or perioral areas are represented more rostrally, or towards the top of the nucleus, while areas farther from the mouth are represented more caudally, or towards the bottom, within the spinal trigeminal nucleus. This somatotopic mapping divides the spinal trigeminal nucleus into three sub-parts from rostral to caudal: the oral, interpolar, and caudal parts.