Spinoreticular tract

The spinoreticular tract is an ascending sensory pathway within the central nervous system that plays a crucial role in modulating consciousness, probably through its connections to the reticular formation.

Axons of first order neurons in the spinoreticular tract originate in the dorsal root ganglion and project to the posterior gray horns of the spinal cord. The precise location of second-order neuron cell bodies within the posterior gray horn remains unclear. However, their axons ascend primarily in the lateral funiculus (lateral white column) and terminate in the reticular formation of the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain. Most fibers in the spinoreticular tract remain ipsilateral and do not cross the midline.