Spinoolivary tract

The spinoolivary tract is an ascending sensory tract involved in motor learning and coordination by relaying sensory information to the cerebellum. It connects the spinal cord to the inferior olivary nucleus and subsequently the cerebellum.

The first-order neurons of the spinoolivary tract arise from the dorsal root ganglia, with their axons entering the posterior gray horns of the spinal cord. While the precise location of the second-order neurons' cell bodies in the posterior horn remains unclear, their axons cross the spinal cord midline (decussate) and ascend through the anterolateral funiculus. At the level of the medulla oblongata, these fibers synapse with third-order neurons located in the inferior olivary nucleus. The third-order neurons then send their axons, which again cross the midline, pass through inferior cerebellar peduncle, ultimately conveying sensory information to the cerebellum for further processing.